NASA has announced new commercial delivery arrangements and a nuclear-powered rover as it develops plans for a sustained presence near the Moon’s South Pole.
The agency’s November 7 announcement named eight companies eligible to compete for deliveries under CLPS 2, a ten-year framework with a combined ceiling of US$10 billion. That ceiling is not a payment to each company or a guarantee that the full amount will be spent.
NASA also plans to launch its PROMISE rover in late 2028 for an intended 18-month mission. The six-wheeled vehicle would investigate the surface, subsurface and potential resources, including areas that remain in shadow. Its nuclear power supply is intended to support operation through long lunar nights.
Blue Origin received a US$94 million base award to deliver the rover, with a further US$140 million option tied to performance. Separate launch and orbital-transport task orders total approximately US$1.3 billion.
These are development and procurement steps, not evidence that a lunar settlement already exists. Delivery, testing and mission performance remain ahead.
Image: NASA artist’s concept of a future Moon Base, not a photograph of existing facilities.
Source: NASA announcement, November 7, 2026.
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