National Space Society Applauds NASA Moon Base Awards Including PROMISE Rover and Commercial Partnerships

MERRITT ISLAND, FL, UNITED STATES, November 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The National Space Society (NSS) applauds NASA’s latest Moon Base awards and mission announcements, which represent a significant step forward in building the infrastructure, transportation systems, and scientific capabilities needed for a sustained human presence on the Moon. NASA’s announcements include major investments in commercial lunar delivery services, orbital transportation, surface power systems, communications infrastructure, and development of the Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration (PROMISE) rover.

“These announcements demonstrate a welcome commitment to building lunar infrastructure through practical, incremental progress,” said Grant Henriksen, Chair of the NSS Policy Committee. “NASA is advancing the technologies, partnerships, and operational experience necessary to establish a permanent foothold on the lunar surface and to ultimately open the solar system to human settlement.”

The society particularly welcomes NASA’s decision to move forward with PROMISE, a nuclear-powered rover designed to operate at the Moon’s south pole, including within permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) believed to contain valuable water ice deposits. NASA has stated that PROMISE will carry scientific instruments, advanced computing systems, and resource-prospecting technologies critical to future exploration and development activities.

The NSS has previously endorsed PROMISE as a transformative capability for lunar exploration and development. The rover’s ability to survive the long lunar night, investigate subsurface resources, and operate in challenging environments makes it one of the most important precursor missions for a permanent lunar presence.

The NSS also commends NASA’s continued use of commercial partnerships through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and the agency’s transportation and infrastructure awards. By engaging multiple U.S. companies to provide lunar landers, cislunar transportation services, communications capabilities, and surface infrastructure, NASA is helping stimulate a robust space economy while reducing costs and increasing innovation.

The NSS believes these developments align closely with its long-standing vision of permanent human expansion into space. By pursuing a sustained lunar presence through partnerships with industry and through investments in critical infrastructure, NASA is laying the foundation not only for future Mars missions but also for long-term economic development throughout cislunar space.

The NSS encourages Congress and the Administration to continue supporting these efforts and to provide stable funding that enables NASA and its commercial partners to maintain momentum toward a permanently inhabited Moon.

About the National Space Society

The National Space Society is the preeminent non-partisan citizens’ voice on space exploration, development, and settlement, reaching millions through its membership, numerous outreach channels, and media activities. The organization was founded in 1987 via a merger of the National Space Institute and the L5 Society. To learn more about the NSS and its mission to establish humanity as a spacefaring species, visit us on the web at nss.org.

Rod Pyle
National Space Society
+1 626-399-4440
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
X