NASA awarded contracts to Lunar Outpost of Golden, Colo., and Venturi Astrolab of Hawthorne, Calif., to build lunar terrain vehicles. Each firm will receive roughly $220 million to deliver a one‑ton rover that carries two astronauts and climbs 20‑degree slopes. The contracts represent the largest single procurement for lunar mobility since the Apollo era, signaling a growing commercial stake in NASA’s Artemis program.

Program chief Carlos García‑Galán said the agency wants a rover on the surface when the next crew arrives, emphasizing a one‑year operational window rather than the decade‑long service originally envisioned. Speed and simplicity replaced earlier specs such as a robotic arm and a 9.3‑mph top speed, trimming the required maximum to 6.2 mph and adding remote driving capabilities.

Blue Origin secured a $468 million contract to launch the rovers, while Firefly Aerospace earned $75 million to ferry four JPL‑built lunar drones for south‑pole reconnaissance. The drones will hop across terrain, feeding high‑resolution maps that guide landing‑site selection and future base construction. Data from the drones will also support scientific studies of permanently shadowed craters. NASA now faces an 18‑month development sprint to meet the 2028 deadline.