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 instead focus resources and investment on building a permanent human base directly on the Moon's surface.
This ambitious project is backed by a $20-30 billion investment over the next decade, aiming for semi-annual crewed missions starting in 2028 and sustained human presence by 2032.
The development is structured in three phases, from establishing reliable lunar access and scouting sites, through building essential infrastructure for living and working, to ultimately creating a permanent base capable of resource extraction and supporting future Mars missions by 2036.
NASA is modifying existing programs like CLPS and LTV, and demands high performance and accountability from commercial partners to avoid delays and budget overruns for this top-priority lunar initiative.
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.
