NASA Selects Blue Origin for Lunar Rover Deliveries and Details South Pole Base Plan

NASA presented its revised plan to establish a lunar base at the moon’s south pole nearly two months after the Artemis II mission. The agency shifted priority from the Gateway orbital station to surface operations to reduce costs and accelerate the Artemis schedule.

The plan is divided into three phases. Phase one, running from 2026 to 2029, focuses on robotic exploration and technology testing with at least 25 missions and 21 surface landings planned.

One of the first missions will test Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander in fall 2026. The uncrewed flight will evaluate controlled descent, navigation, and positioning systems. Additional 2026 missions include Moon Base II, which will deliver rovers and payloads to test complex rover operations, and Moon Base III, which will carry scientific instruments to study material behavior under lunar conditions.

Phase two begins in 2029 and centers on semipermanent infrastructure assembly. NASA expects to deliver up to 60 tons of cargo across 24 missions, installing energy systems, habitat elements, and communication networks. Phase three will expand the site into durable centers with continuous personnel rotation, reliable power, logistics networks, and roughly 38 tons of annual cargo shipments for maintenance and growth.

” — administrator Jared Isaacman, NASA statement The agency said the south pole location was chosen for its access to resources and continuous sunlight in certain areas. Construction of a sustained human presence is expected to take at least a decade.