NASA has delivered a major update regarding its intentions for a lunar base designed to maintain a continuous human presence on the moon’s surface. This announcement comes after the historic triumph of the Artemis II mission last month, which saw four crew members venture further into space than any previous human explorers.
NASA chief Jared Isaacman stated the “grand return” to lunar exploration is drawing increasingly near. Mr Isaacman announced that three moon missions – Moon Base I, II, III – will be launching by end of 2026 with uncrewed landers.
He noted the space agency will be “figuring out what works and what doesn’t” as the Moon base is as “beautiful as it is hostile”, reports the Express.
Mr Isaacman explained: “In sunlight, the surface can heat to over 250C. In darkness, it can drop well below -200C. In the permanently shaded craters, [there are] areas of great interest that have been untouched by sunlight for millions, even billions of years…
View 3 ImagesNASA chief Jared Isaacman stated the “grand return” to lunar exploration is drawing increasingly near(Image: Getty)
“There is no atmosphere to moderate these extremes, no protection from radiation and solar particle events, and the surface is exposed to meteorite impacts, including the kind of light flashes the Artemis II crew observed from orbit.”
Mr Isaacman outlined the three phases to the agency’s Moon Base plans and said a website for the initiative was launched two hours ago. The three phases are summarised as follows on the newly launched website:
Phase One (Now – 2029): Experiment and Learn
NASA will begin with a rapid series of robotic missions to scout the lunar South Pole region, test technologies, and prepare for surface operations ahead of future astronaut missions.
Phase Two (2029 – 2032): Early Habitation
By 2029, NASA will transition to assembling semi-permanent infrastructure and initiating early habitation and logistics operations.
Phase Three (2032 and beyond): Sustained Human Presence
This phase will scale operations to achieve a true enduring presence, with routine crew rotations and continuous surface activity. This is when living and working on the Moon becomes a reality.
View 3 ImagesThe Moon Base project will rely on Blue Origin for parts of the hardware(Image: NASA)
Carlos García-Galán, programme executive for Moon Base, announced that the project will rely on Blue Origin for parts of the hardware. The space technology company is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and rivals Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Article continues below
Blue Origin was selected to produce so-called LTV delivery landers, Mr García-Galán said. He added that NASA envisions that the base will be “hundreds of square miles”.
Ensure our latest stories always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.