NASA Awards $627 Million in Lunar Contracts to Blue Origin, Astrolab

NASA awarded contracts worth a combined $627 million to Blue Origin, Astrolab, and Lunar Outpost on May 26, 2026, advancing its Artemis program to return humans to the moon. Astrolab secured $219 million and Lunar Outpost $220 million to build and deliver Lunar Terrain Vehicles. Blue Origin won a $188 million contract to transport the rovers to the lunar surface using its Mark 1 cargo lander. The awards are part of NASA’s broader effort to establish sustained infrastructure on the moon. The agency also selected Firefly Aerospace to build the spacecraft for the MoonFall mission, which will carry drones from Earth orbit to the moon with a target launch in 2028.