NASA commits $590 million to four Moon missions for permanent lunar outpost

NASA has awarded $590 million to three companies — Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines — to deliver four robotic missions to the Moon by late 2028, advancing plans for a permanent lunar outpost. The missions will carry science instruments to study lunar dust, radiation, and navigation accuracy, building critical knowledge for future astronaut missions and eventually Mars exploration.