China reveals how it intends to beat NASA back to the moon

On Saturday, NASA unveiled a series of strategic investments and plans aimed at propelling its technological prowess with the long-term ambition of constructing a permanent lunar base. As part of this initiative, the space agency has awarded a $10 billion contract for a network of cargo landers, which will be competed for by several companies.

Among the contenders for this prestigious contract are SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, and Northrop Grumman Space Systems, a firm that also deals in military hardware for Israel. Six additional companies are also vying for the lucrative opportunity.

This contract marks the second phase of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), a 10-year framework designed to provide lunar delivery services. Over this period, these companies are tasked with managing, building, and operating landers to facilitate NASA's technological and infrastructural endeavors on the moon.

Besides this significant contract, NASA has announced several other projects and developments to support a sustained presence on the moon. These include a nuclear-powered moon rover called PROMISE, a Mini-Communications and Solar Tower (miniCAST), and multiple launch order contracts with various space transport companies for diverse mission types.

Speaking at the MAX POWER aerospace expo and air show, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized the agency's commitment to building the Moon Base mission piece by piece. He stated, "Today's announcements expand nearly every part of that campaign, using the playbook that carried NASA through its greatest eras: fly often, learn, apply those lessons, and get more better and more capable with every mission.

When our astronauts return to the moon, they will arrive with the first elements of the Moon Base already waiting for them on the surface."

Carlos García-Galán, the manager of the Moon Base Program, highlighted NASA's remarkable progress toward its goal of establishing a permanent lunar outpost. He noted, "We've consolidated numerous efforts into a streamlined program, evolving our human exploration architecture into an iterative and sustained campaign for Moon Base technology development and implementation. Most importantly, we've taken action, awarding new contracts and forging new partnerships to accelerate development."