NASA awarded permission to help the agency in its manned exploration of the moon to three more companies as the Artemis mission inches closer to launch date.

The space agency announced on Wednesday that it has selected Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab to help develop a lunar terrain vehicle astronauts will use to traverse the moon during the Artemis missions.

NASA said it has already allotted a total of $4.6 billion grant towards the three companies. Each provider will reportedly be given at least a "year-long special study" to produce a design for the rovers.

NASA Awards Research Contracts for Future Moon Exploration

The three companies are also provided the chance to provide technologies for the planned moonwalking and scientific exploration on the moon's south pole up until 2039.

NASA intends to start rolling out the developed lunar rovers with the Artemis V mission in 2029.

The three new research grants mark another step from NASA trusting more companies amid the second race to bring humans back to the moon for the first time in nearly a century.

It can be remembered that Intuitive Machines was the first US-based company to succeed in a moon landing for the first time in over 50 years since the Apollo missions last February.

Also Read: Intuitive Machines Succeeds with First US Moon Landing in 51 Years

NASA Inches Closer to Completing Moon Mission Prep

As of writing, NASA has yet to change the schedule of its upcoming Artemis missions as its contracted companies ramp up tests and development of the technologies that will be used to bring astronauts back to the moon.

SpaceX, which was contracted to build the Artemis spacecraft, just conducted its third test flight for its Starship project.

Although the test flight ended with the spacecraft getting destroyed, SpaceX is optimistic about its results as the third attempt was able to reach further heights than the previous flights.

Related Article: NASA Targets to Grow Plants on Moon During Artemis 3 Mission