NASA signs $590M in moon deals; total program cost unknown

(The Center Square) – NASA awarded $590.4 million in new Moon Base lander contracts Tuesday, but the agency has not disclosed what its broader Moon-to-Mars program will cost taxpayers.

It's a question NASA has not answered for more than a month. Administrator Jared Isaacman gave no total cost estimate at a May 26 briefing despite direct questions from reporters. NASA has also not updated a $20 billion, seven-year cost estimate Isaacman gave in March for building the lunar base alone. That figure does not include the broader Moon-to-Mars program. NASA officials responded to a written question from The Center Square seeking that figure by a June 25 deadline, but didn't provide an estimate. The total mission's cost did not come up at Tuesday's briefing.