NASA details its plan to build a lunar base at the moon’s south pole

NASA finally provided Details of its phased plan to create the first Lunar base At the south pole of the moon. Although building a space research center that will allow a sustainable human presence will take at least a decade, the tasks that will lay its technological and symbolic foundations will begin in the next few years. Including a test Blue Origin Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander, scheduled for launch at the end of 2026.

The Moon Base project has been replaced as a priority Portal programan orbital station similar to International Space Station Which would serve as a node between the Earth and the Moon. At the beginning of 2026, NASA She rethought and simplified her strategy: she decided to focus resources on the lunar surface, reducing operating costs and accelerating Artemis’ schedule. After weeks of silence, the agency published its new plan.

Lunar base in 3 steps

So far, the lunar base plan consists of three phases. The first, from 2026 to 2029, will be devoted to robotic exploration and experimentation missions. In this phase, NASA and its private sector partners will test technologies needed for future manned missions.

According to a recent press conference, the first phase will be particularly active: at least 25 missions and 21 surface landings. Without detailing specific dates, the agency said that over the next three years it will send rovers, including manned models for future mobility, drones, surface reactors, new-generation satellites, and Earth preparation payloads.

One of the first major tasks will be a test Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance Unit In the fall of 2026. Its purpose is to evaluate the conditions for a controlled landing and validate the navigation and positioning technology. It will not carry astronauts. If the mission is successful, Blue Origin plans to launch a crewed version around 2028, possibly using a Blue Moon Mark 2.

The Moon Base II and 3 missions are also part of the program’s rollout in 2026. Rovers and payloads will be sent to evaluate more complex rover operations; The other will carry scientific instruments to study the behavior of materials and the systems beneath them Extreme lunar conditions.

The second phase, starting in 2029, marks the beginning of the assembly of semi-permanent infrastructure and the first occupancies. NASA plans to install advanced power systems, including surface reactors, primary habitat elements, and more powerful communications networks. Up to 60 tons of cargo will be delivered in 24 missions during this period.

The first and second phases of NASA’s Moon Base program contemplate ground experiments, payload delivery, and foundation laying.

Courtesy of NASA