NASA has revealed new plans for establishing a base on the Moon which will cost an estimated $20 billion (£15 billion).
The agency’s chief Jared Isaacman outlined the strategy at an event in Washington DC last week, marking the first time a clear timeline and roadmap have been presented for building a lunar base.
‘NASA is committed to achieving the near-impossible once again, to return to the Moon before the end of President Trump’s term, build a Moon base, establish an enduring presence, and do the other things needed to ensure American leadership in space,’ he said.
‘The clock is running in this great-power competition, and success or failure will be measured in months, not years.
‘If we concentrate NASA’s extraordinary resources on the objectives of the National Space Policy, clear away needless obstacles that impede progress, and unleash the workforce and industrial might of our nation and partners, then returning to the Moon and building a base will seem pale in comparison to what we will be capable of accomplishing in the years ahead.’
Amit Kshatriya, the agency’s associate administrator, also revealed plans to send a nuclear-powered spacecraft, Space Reactor-1 Freedom, to Mars.
The plans build on the agency’s existing Artemis programme, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon.
Recent updates include standardising the configuration of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, adding an additional mission in 2027, and planning at least one lunar landing each year thereafter.
Under the revised approach, Artemis III – currently scheduled for 2027 – will focus on testing integrated systems and operational capabilities in Earth orbit ahead of the Artemis IV mission, which is expected to carry out a lunar landing.
Looking further ahead, NASA said it would increasingly rely on commercially procured and reusable hardware to support more frequent crewed missions.
Initial plans target landings every six months, with the possibility of increasing that rate as technology develops.
A central part of the new strategy is the phased plan to construct a permanent base on the Moon.
NASA said it would pause development of the Gateway lunar space station in its current form, instead prioritising infrastructure designed to support sustained operations on the lunar surface.
The agency said the changes are intended to enable a continuous human presence on the Moon, while also laying the groundwork for future deep space exploration.
It has been more than 50 years since America’s hard fought and ultimately successful contest with the Soviet Union for dominance in space.
In recent years a new space race has developed, with China the primary competitor.
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