{
  "id": 18904197,
  "title": "NASA announces $10b. contract for lunar cargo lander in push toward eventual long-term moon base",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/nasa-announces-10b-contract-for-lunar-cargo-lander-in-push-toward",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-08T09:34:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/science/space/article-914177"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\n\nAmong 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.\n\nThis 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.\n\nBesides 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.\n\nSpeaking 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.\"\n\nCarlos 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.\"",
  "summary": "NASA is accepting applications for a new class of astronauts to support the Artemis program and the development of a permanent lunar base. Officials announced the recruitment drive on Saturday during an air show at the Kennedy Space Center. Interested applicants have until December 3 to submit their applications, with a final selection expected by late 2027. The new candidates are scheduled to begin training in early 2028, the same year NASA intends to return astronauts to the lunar surface.\n\nTo support human survival and infrastructure on the moon, NASA revealed plans for a new rover named PROMISE (Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping and In-Situ Exploration). According to Scientific American, the rover is modeled after the Perseverance and Curiosity Mars rovers and is intended to fly to the moon. NASA chief Jared Isaacman stated that missions will help characterize the lunar environment and that having infrastructure waiting for human crews is critical.\n\nCompanies in consideration for a lunar cargo lander contract include SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Northrop Grumman Space Systems, the latter of which also sells weapons to Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Space.com",
        "title": "Send your name to Saturn's moon Titan with NASA's upcoming Dragonfly mission",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/send-your-name-to-saturns-moon-titan-with-nasas-upcoming-dragonfly",
        "published": "2026-11-07T15:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Want to fly to the Moon? NASA is hiring astronauts. Here's how to apply",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/want-to-fly-to-the-moon-nasa-is-hiring-astronauts-heres-how-to-apply",
        "published": "2026-11-07T18:56:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}