{"id":802360,"date":"2026-05-27T01:23:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T06:23:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=802360"},"modified":"2026-05-27T01:23:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T06:23:31","slug":"nasa-lays-out-moon-base-plans-with-landers-buggies-and-drones-npr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=802360","title":{"rendered":"NASA lays out moon base plans with landers, buggies and drones : NPR"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n In this photo provided by NASA and captured by the Artemis II crew from lunar orbit, the moon eclipses the sun on April 6, 2026.
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NASA via AP<\/p>\n

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NASA via AP<\/p>\n

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. \u2014 NASA is already ordering landers, rovers and drones for a sprawling moon base, less than two months after the Artemis II’s record-breaking lunar flyaround.<\/p>\n

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The space agency outlined the first phase of its moon base plans on Tuesday, awarding hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts to four U.S. companies.<\/p>\n

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin will provide a pair of landers to deliver moon buggies to the lunar surface, at a spot near the moon’s south pole. These so-called lunar terrain vehicles will be built by Astrolab and Lunar Outpost. Firefly Aerospace, which landed successfully on the moon last year, will deliver the first drones to the moon.<\/p>\n