NASA’s Moon Base plan gains a PROMISE

NASA's Moon Base Vision and New Missions

NASA announced a major update to its plans for establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon. Revealed at Kennedy Space Center's MAX POWER aerospace expo, the agency has booked a ride for its nuclear-powered rover, PROMISE, to the lunar south pole. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, Moon Base Program Manager Carlos García-Galán, science chief Nicky Fox, and acting infrastructure director Dayna Ise presented the program's next steps.

Technical Testing and Commercial Task Orders

Alongside the PROMISE rover, the miniCAST hardware will test vital utilities required to keep Moon Base assets operational. The announcement also introduced six launch and orbital transportation task orders alongside eight eligible providers for the next generation of Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) deliveries.

Transition to a Sustainable Lunar Network

This initiative marks NASA's shift from isolated missions to an interconnected network combining transportation, prospecting, power, and communications. The integrated approach lays the groundwork for a long-term, sustained robotic and human lunar outpost at the south pole.