NASA has announced an ambitious three-phase roadmap to establish a permanent base on the Moon, detailing plans for three lunar missions later this year as part of preparations for a sustained human presence beyond Earth. The announcement follows a successful lunar flyaround.
Moon Base Plan Overview
At a press conference on Tuesday, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman unveiled a $20 billion Moon Base plan, describing the facility as "America's and humanity's first outpost on another celestial world." The initiative is structured in three phases, aiming to transition from testing to permanent habitation.
Phase 1 (2026-2028): Testing and Preparation
During this initial phase, NASA will focus on testing lunar technologies, surface systems, and mobility vehicles while preparing for astronaut landings under the Artemis-III mission. The agency has selected Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander for the Moon Base-I mission, planned no earlier than September this year. This mission will deliver equipment such as Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies, which examine how thrusters interact with the Moon's surface, along with the Laser Retroreflective Array, helping orbiting spacecraft determine precise locations using reflected laser light. The mission is expected to land on the Shackleton Connecting Ridge to demonstrate future landing capabilities aimed at reducing risks for missions planned in 2028. In April, Artemis-II saw four astronauts travel around the Moon, becoming the first human spaceflight mission to venture beyond low-Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt were the last astronauts to walk on the Moon in 1972.
Phase 2 (2029-2032): Building Permanent Infrastructure
NASA plans to begin construction of permanent lunar infrastructure, including habitats, power systems, and facilities needed to support longer human missions. The Moon Base-II mission, scheduled for launch later this year, will deliver more than 1,100 pounds of cargo aboard Astrobotic's Griffin lander, including Astrolab's FLIP rover, to help develop mobility systems that could support future Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) operations.
Phase 3 (2032 Onwards): Sustained Human Presence
NASA aims to establish continuous operations on the lunar surface through routine crew rotations, scientific experiments, and long-term habitation. The Moon Base-III mission, also planned for later this year, will carry NASA's Lunar Vertex mission aimed at studying mysterious lunar swirls and bright formations on the Moon believed to be linked to magnetic fields beneath the surface. The mission will also carry payloads from the European Space Agency and the Korean Space Agency. The third phase, beginning in 2032, is expected to focus on scaling up operations to achieve a sustained human presence, with routine crew rotations and continuous surface activity.
Under the three-phase programme, NASA plans to test key technologies and prepare for lunar surface operations over the next three years. The agency also aims to deploy at least one lunar terrain vehicle for astronauts expected to return to the Moon in 2028 under the Artemis-III mission. "Then we will be able to say, 'Hey, we are permanently here and we are not giving it up,'" said NASA Moon Base Programme Executive Carlos Garcia-Galan.
