NASA has updated its lunar base deployment strategy just two months after unveiling its initial concept, refining how it will combine crewed Artemis missions with commercially driven CLPS lunar deliveries.

Under the new approach, upcoming CLPS missions are being rebranded under a unified “Moon Base” naming system to better align with the broader lunar infrastructure program.

The first three missions include Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander, designated Moon Base I, targeting a landing near the Shackleton crater ridge at the lunar south pole.Moon Base II will be Astrobotic’s Griffin 1 mission, carrying up to 500 kilograms of payload, including the FLIP rover from Astrolab.Moon Base III will be Intuitive Machines’ next Nova-C lander.All three missions are expected to launch before the end of the year, though scheduling remains ambitious.NASA also anticipates a rapid cadence of roughly monthly launches beginning in 2027.

The agency’s official plan outlines a phased lunar base buildup: Phase 1 (through 2029) includes 25 launches and 21 landings delivering about 4 tons of cargo; Phase 2 (2029–2032) scales up to 60 tons; and Phase 3, starting after 2032, aims for over 100 tons on the lunar surface.

NASA has also awarded contracts for lunar terrain vehicles (LTVs), including Astrolab’s CLV-1 and Lunar Outpost’s Pegasus rover, valued at over $200 million each.These will be delivered via Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1/2 landers.Notably, SpaceX’s Starship has been left out of this round of LTV contracts.

Additionally, NASA is developing “Moonfall” hopping drones from JPL, designed to explore permanently shadowed regions in the lunar south pole, mapped at high resolution, and deployed via Firefly’s Elytra orbital transfer system.

The Artemis III mission remains scheduled for mid-2027, potentially carrying crews to lunar orbit for surface operations supported by multiple Human Landing System providers.Despite the ambitious roadmap, questions remain about funding and whether NASA can sustain the scale of its planned lunar expansion.