NASA Awards $440 Million For Lunar Rovers To Support Artemis Moon Base
NASA awarded about $440 million to two companies to develop lunar rovers to support its south polar Artemis moon base during the week of May 26, 2026.[1]
NASA selected Astrolab and Lunar Outpost, with each company receiving about $220 million for rover development.[1] The rovers must carry two astronauts and supplies, run for at least one year, travel hundreds of miles and support remote teleoperation from Earth.[1] NASA says the broader lunar base plan is budgeted at roughly $20 billion.[1]
NASA's Artemis program aims to build a crewed base near the moon's south pole, and these contracts are the first specifically for long-range, crewed lunar terrain vehicles meant to ferry astronauts and cargo across the region.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On the week of May 26, 2026, NASA selected Astrolab and Lunar Outpost to build the first lunar terrain vehicles for its south polar moon base.
- Each company will receive about $220 million from NASA for rover development, and the broader lunar base plan is budgeted at roughly $20 billion.
- The rovers must carry two astronauts and supplies, operate at least one year, traverse hundreds of miles, and support remote teleoperation from Earth.
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