NASA tasks Jeff Bezos with taking the first step to build its lunar base

NASA plans to launch three robotic missions to the lunar surface by the end of 2026, operated by private companies. The first mission, Moon Base 1, is scheduled for fall 2026 and is contracted to Blue Origin. It will land at the Moon’s south pole, supporting the U.S. base location, and will debut Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lunar lander. The second mission, Moon Base 2, is scheduled for this year and will be operated by Astrobotics, which previously failed to land its Griffin lander in January 2024. The third mission will be operated by Intuitive Machines, after earlier landing failures with its Athena probe. NASA also outlines phased steps toward establishing a human colony on the Moon.

"NASA administrator Jared Isaacman announced that by the end of 2026, three robotic missions to the lunar surface will be launched, carried out by private companies. The first of these, scheduled for fall 2026, will be the Moon Base 1 mission, which NASA has contracted to Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' space company. Its destination will be the Moon's south pole, where the U.S. plans to build its base."

"This mission will mark the debut of Bezos' lunar lander, Blue Moon, whose second version will also compete with Elon Musk's Starship to carry the first astronauts to set foot on the Moon in the 21st century during the Artemis 4 and Artemis 5 missions. The Moon Base 2 mission, also scheduled for this year, will be operated by Astrobotics, which will have a second chance to land its Griffin lander on the Moon after failing in January 2024."

"And the third mission of the new U.S. program to build its lunar base will also be entrusted to another commercial provider, Intuitive Machines, which had a rough landing with its Athena robotic probe in 2025, following another failed attempt in 2024. Spanish engineer Carlos Garcia Galan is in charge of developing Isaacman's ambitious plans to establish the first human colony on the Moon."

"During Tuesday's press conference, he outlined the three phases the space agency is planning: the first, which begins this year with the first announced missions, will be dedicated to co"

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