# Blue Origin will play a major role in the agency's expanding Moon Base initiative.

*aerospace · news · 2026-05-26 · Forbes*

## Key points

- NASA awarded Blue Origin a $188 million contract for the first Moon Base mission in 2026.
- NASA has officially canceled the Lunar Gateway lunar-orbiting station from Artemis program plans.
- Moon Base I will test Blue Moon Endurance lander systems and study lunar dust plume interactions.
- NASA awarded over $439 million for development of next-generation lunar rovers to Astrolab and Lunar Outpost.
- NASA plans to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft, Space Reactor-1 Freedom, to Mars by 2028.

**Companies:** Blue Origin, Astrobotic, Astrolab, Firefly Aerospace
**Countries:** United States, China

[Read the full story on Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2026/05/26/nasa-picks-bezoss-blue-origin-over-spacex-for-key-moon-base-mission/)

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