NASA awards $600 million for permanent lunar base by 2029

NASA has awarded nearly $600 million to Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, and Firefly Aerospace for four robotic missions by 2028. This infrastructure aims to establish a permanent lunar base at the water-rich south pole by 2029. Despite Blue Origin’s recent rocket test explosion, NASA remains on track, even considering a nuclear-powered Mars rover prototype for the mission.