NASA Unveils Lunar Base Strategy, Awards Contracts Worth Hundreds of Millions to US Firms
मुख्य बातें
- •NASA awarded $253 million in contracts to four U.S. companies—Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, Astrobotic, and Masten Space Systems—for lunar lander, rover, and drone development.
- •The contracts are part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program and support NASA’s Artemis missions, aiming for a sustainable human lunar base.
- •Intuitive Machines received $116.9 million, Lunar Outpost $76.3 million, Astrobotic $80 million, and Masten Space Systems $40.8 million for their respective lunar lander and rover projects.
- •The initiatives are expected to launch between 2023 and 2025, contributing to NASA’s goal of returning humans to the Moon and preparing for Mars missions.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday took a major step toward establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon by outlining the first phase of its lunar base initiative. In a strategic move, the space agency announced the awarding of contracts worth a combined $253 million to four prominent U.S. companies—Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, Astrobotic, and Masten Space Systems. These contracts are part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program and are designed to support robotic missions that will lay the groundwork for future Artemis missions, which aim to return humans to the lunar surface by 2025 or later.
