NASA announces plan to build Moon base

• NASA announced a series of initiatives designed to advance American leadership in space. 

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) chief Jared Isaacman announced the plan to build a base on the Moon’s surface.

• The space agency plans to pause the Lunar Gateway project in its current form and shift focus to infrastructure that enables sustained surface operations. 

• The Lunar Gateway was supposed to be the first international space station around the Moon and support the most distant human space missions ever attempted, as part of the Artemis program.

• Despite challenges with some existing hardware, NASA will repurpose applicable equipment and leverage international partner commitments to support these objectives.

• The announcement builds on recent updates to the Artemis program, including standardising the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket configuration, adding an additional mission in 2027, and undertaking at least one surface landing every year thereafter. 

• Under this previously updated architecture, Artemis III — scheduled for 2027 — will focus on testing integrated systems and operational capabilities in Earth orbit in advance of the Artemis IV lunar landing.

• Looking beyond Artemis V, NASA announced that it will begin to incorporate more commercially procured and reusable hardware to undertake frequent and affordable crewed missions to the lunar surface, initially targeting landings every six months, with the potential to increase cadence as capabilities mature.

• To achieve an enduring human presence on the Moon, NASA announced a phased approach to building a lunar base. 

• The plan for establishing a sustained lunar presence will roll out in three deliberate phases.

1) Phase One: Build, Test, Learn

NASA shifts from bespoke, infrequent missions to a repeatable, modular approach. Through CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) deliveries and the LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) program, the agency will increase the tempo of lunar activity, sending rovers, instruments, and technology demonstrations that advance mobility, power generation (including radioisotope heater units and radioisotope thermoelectric generators), communications, navigation, surface operations, and a wide range of scientific investigations.

2) Phase Two: Establish Early Infrastructure

With lessons from early missions in hand, NASA moves toward semi‑habitable infrastructure and regular logistics. This phase supports recurring astronaut operations on the surface and incorporates major international contributions, including JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) pressurised rover, and potentially other partner scientific payloads, rovers, and infrastructure/transportation capabilities.

3) Phase Three: Enable Long‑Duration Human Presence

As cargo‑capable human landing systems (HLS) come online, NASA will deliver heavier infrastructure needed for a continuous human foothold on the Moon, marking the transition from periodic expeditions to a permanent lunar base. This will include ASI’s (Italian Space Agency) Multi-purpose Habitats (MPH), CSA’s (Canadian Space Agency) Lunar Utility Vehicle, and opportunities for additional contributions in habitation, surface mobility and logistics.