By 
September 9th, 2026
Artistic concept of lunar surface technologies and infrastructure capabilities.
Image credit: NASA
NASA is pressing forward on the plan to establish a Moon Base in the lunar South Pole region.
Announced on Tuesday, Sept. 8, NASA posted a NextSTEP-3 Broad Agency Announcement Appendix A.
The Lunar Enabling Infrastructure Accelerator solicitation aims to mature and demonstrate capabilities in five areas:
Vertical solar array technology that can provide consistent power generation, management, distribution, and energy storage.
In-situ resource utilization of oxygen to extract from the lunar regolith usable oxygen molecularly bonded to rock and dust covering the Moon’s surface.
Radioisotope Stirling generator, a type of nuclear energy technology that uses heat from fissile materials to produce electric power for operating spacecraft systems in the darkest, dustiest, and most remote places.
In-space advanced manufacturing to reduce reliance on resupply missions from Earth and to optimize mission flexibility and resilience on the Moon.
Innovative nanomaterials production to advance the commercial availability and quality of nanomaterials that can be used in lunar exploration.
For those responding to the solicitation, the offers are due on October 8, before 5:00 PM EDT.
To view the entire solicitation focused on a sustainable lunar presence, go to:
https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/9150228ad10e4d6dbf8a2f464147f8cf/view
Light it up! Artist’s rendering of the lunar South Pole region.
Image credit: NASA
Posted in Space News
