NASA is accelerating plans for a permanent lunar base by awarding hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts to U.S. companies for landers, rovers, and drones.

Blue Origin will supply landers for lunar vehicles, while companies like Astrolab, Lunar Outpost, and Firefly Aerospacewill build and deliver rovers and drones for use near the moon’s south pole.

The equipment is expected to arrive ahead of NASA’s Artemis III mission, which aims for a crewed lunar landing as early as 2028.

The broader plan includes building infrastructure through the 2030s, eventually supporting a long-term human presence and a potential lunar economy, CBS News has reported.

NASA says the program will also help prepare for future Mars exploration while costing tens of billions of dollars over the next decade.