NASA has ordered rovers, landers and drones for a future base on the Moon

According to AP, NASA has distributed contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars between four American companies. Blue Origin is to deliver landing vehicles to the Moon, Astrolab and Lunar Outpost will work on lunar rovers, and Firefly Aerospace will deliver the first drones. All of this relates to the first phase of lunar base preparation.

The main idea of NASA is not just to land people on the Moon again, but to gradually create infrastructure there: transport, communication, energy, robotic systems and sites for the future work of astronauts. Officially, NASA describes Moon Base as part of the Artemis programme, which should provide the first long-term human presence on the Moon near its south pole.

Details

The future base should appear near the Moon's south pole. This region is of interest to NASA for several reasons: there are areas with longer periods of light, which is important for solar energy, and permanently shaded craters can store water ice and other volatiles. Such resources could be important for science and future long-duration missions.

NASA calls the first phase a period of experimentation and learning. The agency is planning a series of robotic missions through 2029: the vehicles should explore the South Pole region, test technologies, deliver equipment and prepare the surface for humans. This phase includes autonomous and manned rovers, four MoonFall drones, communications and observation satellites, and the first demonstrations of power, navigation and communications.

Rovers are needed for astronauts to navigate the surface. The Moon is not a level ground: the south pole is difficult because of craters, sharp shadows, temperature variations and difficult terrain. So NASA wants to test in advance how the vehicle will be able to operate in such conditions.

MoonFall drones are meant to perform a different task. NASA describes them as vehicles based on the experience of the Martian Ingenuity helicopter. They must get to places that are difficult or impossible for conventional rovers to reach. This is especially important for reconnaissance of difficult terrain and potential locations for future missions.

Why it matters

It's no longer just talking about going back to the moon. NASA is getting down to the practical preparations: who will deliver the equipment, what vehicles will drive on the surface, what robots will be able to inspect dangerous areas, and how it will all work before humans arrive.

In essence, the agency is putting together the first "construction kit" for a lunar base. First, robots, landers, transport, communications and technology testing. Then, more permanent infrastructure. NASA's plan is for the second phase from 2029 to 2032 to include solar expansion, the first habitation elements, improved rovers, surface-to-orbit communications, and large cargo delivery. The third phase after 2032 should transition to a sustained human presence on the Moon.

Background

The Artemis programme is NASA's attempt to return to the Moon no longer in the format of short visits, as during Apollo, but with an eye on the long term. Artemis II was the programme's first manned flight and an important step towards a long-term return of humans to the Moon and future missions to Mars.

The next missions should become progressively more complex. NASA points out that Artemis III is planned for 2027 as a low-Earth orbit demonstration mission to test SpaceX and Blue Origin's commercial lunar landing systems, while the agency continues to target the first Artemis landing for early 2028.

That's why the tech for the future base is needed in advance. Before sending people out for the long haul, NASA needs to understand where it's safe to land, how to navigate the surface, and how to provide communications, power, and equipment protection from the cold, dust, and long lunar night.