NASA announced on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, a solicitation for proposals to advance technology and infrastructure for exploring the Moon and establishing a Moon Base in the lunar South Pole region. The NextSTEP-3 Broad Agency Announcement Appendix A, titled Lunar Enabling Infrastructure Accelerator, targeted capability gaps including power generation, oxygen extraction and producing materials needed for construction and operations.

The solicitation aimed to mature and demonstrate capabilities in five areas: vertical solar array technology; production of oxygen from regolith; radioisotope Stirling generators; in-space advanced manufacturing; and innovative nanomaterials production. It was intended to cultivate U.S.-led capabilities while maintaining full and open competition among private industry, academic institutions, not-for-profit entities and international partners participating through U.S.-led teams.

Greg Stover, director of NASA's Advanced Research and Technology Division, said partnering with industry would strengthen the U.S. industrial base. NASA said it may apply insights from resulting contracts, such as technical data and demonstration results, to shape future acquisition strategies. The release was updated Sept. 28, 2026, to reflect an extended response due date; the notice did not state the extended deadline.