NASA Unveils Bold Plan to Build a Permanent Moon Base, With First Robots Launching This Year

NASA has revealed a detailed, three-phase plan to build a permanent base on the surface of the moon, with the first robotic missions set to launch before the end of this year.

The announcement comes just six weeks after the Artemis-2 mission sent astronauts around the moon for the first time in 50 years. NASA hopes to land astronauts back on the surface with Artemis-4 in 2028.

The vision is massive. NASA describes a future base potentially spanning hundreds of square miles near the lunar South Pole, complete with astronaut living quarters, rovers, and both solar and nuclear power systems. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the goal goes well beyond the moon itself. "We want to be in an environment where we can learn the skills so astronauts can go and plant the stars and stripes on Mars one day," he said.

Construction would begin in earnest in 2029, following robotic and drone missions this year and next that will scout the best landing sites. By 2032, NASA says the first astronauts would begin living and working there full time.

Lori Glaze, with NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission, said the program is designed to push exploration further than ever before. "Artemis astronauts will stay longer, explore farther, and conduct the kinds of science that advances exploration itself," she said.

The effort carries real risks, including long-term radiation exposure and micro-meteorite impacts on the lunar surface. China is also racing to establish a lunar base, and NASA says it plans to establish a perimeter around the American installation in response.