An artist’s concept of Phase 3 of NASA’s moon base project, planned to take place from 2033 to 2036. [Credit: NASA]
Key Takeaways:
NASA is pausing development of the Lunar Gateway space station to redirect its resources and an estimated $20-30 billion towards establishing a permanent human base directly on the moon's surface.
The moon base development will follow a three-phase plan through 2036, starting with initial lunar access and site preparation, progressing to core infrastructure for extended human stays, and culminating in a permanent habitat capable of resource extraction.
NASA aims to accelerate crewed missions to twice a year by 2028, modifying programs like CLPS and LTV to support increased payload delivery, and demanding strict performance and schedule adherence from commercial partners.
Over the next decade, NASA plans to spend tens of billions of dollars on what one official called “humanity’s first deep-space outpost.”
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman kicked off the space agency’s “Ignition” event Tuesday with the revelation that it will pause work on the Lunar Gateway space station, a sizable portion of which has already been built by contractors.
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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
