NASA Outlines Moon Missions, Timelines for 2026

Published 05/27/26 at 6:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Portland, Oregon) – The U.S. and some international partners are getting set to get the human race onto the moon. (Photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

Boldly going where none of us have gone before, NASA unveiled a series of new contracts and mission timelines Tuesday as it accelerates development of its Moon Base program. The agency outlined its long-term effort to establish a sustained presence at the lunar South Pole. The announcement included new lunar rover agreements, updated schedules for early Moon Base missions and progress on upcoming robotic exploration.

Administrator Jared Isaacman called Moon Base the first human outpost on another world, emphasizing that each mission will build the infrastructure and experience needed for long-duration lunar operations and future travel to Mars.

NASA outlined three initial Moon Base missions.

Moon Base I, launching no earlier than fall 2026, will use Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander to deliver scientific instruments to the Shackleton Connecting Ridge.

Artist's conception: NASA

“Equipment will include the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies instrument to study how thrusters interact with the Moon’s surface, and the Laser Retroreflective Array, which helps orbiting spacecraft determine a more precise location using reflected laser light,” NASA said. “The mission will land on the Shackleton Connecting Ridge to demonstrate capabilities that reduce risk for future crewed Artemis landing missions in 2028. “

Moon Base II, planned for later this year, will send more than 1,100 pounds of cargo aboard Astrobotic’s Griffin lander, including Astrolab’s FLIP rover to advance mobility systems.

Moon Base III, also slated for this year, will carry the Lunar Vertex investigation on Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C Trinity lander to study lunar swirls, with additional payloads from ESA and South Korea. It will test equipment under extreme conditions.

These flights are the first of more than a dozen missions expected to roll out this year, all designed to gather operational data ahead of crewed Artemis landings in 2028.

Artist's conception: NASA

NASA also awarded major contracts for the first phase of lunar terrain vehicles. Astrolab for its CLV-1 rover, a crew-capable vehicle adapted from the company’s FLEX design. Lunar Outpost will build Pegasus, a lighter rover capable of manual, autonomous or remote driving at speeds above 9 mph. Both vehicles are intended to support early surface operations, scouting hazards, moving materials and preparing sites for future crews.

Space Images of the Day: Latest from NASA, ISS, Marshall, Webb

To deliver these rovers, NASA awarded Blue Origin $188 million with an option worth up to $280.4 million for additional payload deliveries under the CLPS 1.0 framework. The agency also previewed CLPS 2.0, which will expand cargo delivery options and allow NASA to integrate commercial hardware into its own missions.

NASA provided an update on MoonFall, a mission sending four hopping drones to survey potential Artemis landing sites. Firefly Aerospace will build the spacecraft that carries the drones, with launch targeted for 2028. Each drone will perform short flights, gather high-resolution imagery and operate through the lunar night after its final hop. See astronomy subjects from the perspective of the Oregon coast and Washington coast: Astronomy News, Updates from Oregon Coast, Washington Coast

More robotic missions and CLPS task orders will be announced in the coming weeks as NASA ramps up its lunar cadence. Leaders said the work supports a broader strategy to build an enduring presence on the Moon, strengthen commercial partnerships and prepare for future crewed exploration deeper into the solar system.

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