NASA has revealed new details about its plans to establish a permanent base on the Moon, outlining a series of robotic l
Posted: Tue May 26, 2026 11:04 pm
Among the companies selected to develop the technology is Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos.
The United States aims to return astronauts to the Moon before President Donald Trump leaves office in 2028. However, NASA is also racing against China, which is advancing its own lunar ambitions and plans to send astronauts to the Moon by 2030.
China took another step forward on Monday with the launch of its Shenzhou-23 spacecraft, carrying astronauts to the Tiangong space station.
Earlier this year, NASA unveiled a $20 billion initiative to build a permanent lunar base near the Moon’s south pole by 2032, powered by both nuclear and solar energy.
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said the latest developments show that the US will “never give up the Moon again.”
The proposed base would support scientific research, resource mining, and eventually help pave the way for missions to Mars.
Still, many experts question whether NASA’s timeline is achievable. Although the Artemis II mission successfully sent four astronauts around the Moon in April, some scientists believe China could become the next nation to land humans on the lunar surface.
“It would not surprise me at all if China gets there first,” lunar scientist Dr Simeon Barber of the Open University told BBC News, pointing to NASA’s ongoing difficulties in developing a reliable human landing system.
NASA’s Moon Base programme is divided into three phases.
The first stage focuses on robotic exploration. Before astronauts arrive, NASA plans to deploy robotic landers and hopping drones to survey and map the Moon’s difficult terrain. Delivery vehicles will also transport scientific equipment, communications systems, and mobility tools across the lunar surface.
On Tuesday, NASA announced that Blue Origin, Intuitive Machines, and Astrobotic had secured contracts to build several of these systems. Blue Origin’s “Endurance” lander is expected to perform precise autonomous landings, while Astrobotic’s Griffin-1 lander is scheduled to touch down near Nobile Crater at the Moon’s south pole.
These missions will also carry scientific payloads, including high-resolution imaging systems and laser-based landing technology.
According to Moon Base programme executive Carlos García-Galán, NASA hopes to complete 25 launches and deliver four metric tonnes of cargo to the Moon by 2029 during this robotic phase.
The next stage would involve constructing nuclear and solar power infrastructure, including fission reactors. By 2032, NASA hopes astronauts will be able to live in semi-permanent lunar habitats.
Astronaut galaxy projector
Rovers are also expected to allow astronauts to travel long distances across the Moon’s rocky landscape.
The Moon’s south pole is considered especially valuable because of deposits of frozen water, which could potentially be converted into drinking water or oxygen.
However, the success of the programme depends heavily on the development of a spacecraft capable of safely transporting astronauts to the lunar surface.
SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, is currently developing the Starship Human Landing System for NASA, but the project has experienced repeated delays and technical setbacks.
“The limiting step is getting the astronauts down onto the surface,” said Dr Barber.
“It sounds to me like NASA feels under pressure to show it has a plan, so there’s clearly a strong political element behind this.”
The United States aims to return astronauts to the Moon before President Donald Trump leaves office in 2028. However, NASA is also racing against China, which is advancing its own lunar ambitions and plans to send astronauts to the Moon by 2030.
China took another step forward on Monday with the launch of its Shenzhou-23 spacecraft, carrying astronauts to the Tiangong space station.
Earlier this year, NASA unveiled a $20 billion initiative to build a permanent lunar base near the Moon’s south pole by 2032, powered by both nuclear and solar energy.
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said the latest developments show that the US will “never give up the Moon again.”
The proposed base would support scientific research, resource mining, and eventually help pave the way for missions to Mars.
Still, many experts question whether NASA’s timeline is achievable. Although the Artemis II mission successfully sent four astronauts around the Moon in April, some scientists believe China could become the next nation to land humans on the lunar surface.
“It would not surprise me at all if China gets there first,” lunar scientist Dr Simeon Barber of the Open University told BBC News, pointing to NASA’s ongoing difficulties in developing a reliable human landing system.
NASA’s Moon Base programme is divided into three phases.
The first stage focuses on robotic exploration. Before astronauts arrive, NASA plans to deploy robotic landers and hopping drones to survey and map the Moon’s difficult terrain. Delivery vehicles will also transport scientific equipment, communications systems, and mobility tools across the lunar surface.
On Tuesday, NASA announced that Blue Origin, Intuitive Machines, and Astrobotic had secured contracts to build several of these systems. Blue Origin’s “Endurance” lander is expected to perform precise autonomous landings, while Astrobotic’s Griffin-1 lander is scheduled to touch down near Nobile Crater at the Moon’s south pole.
These missions will also carry scientific payloads, including high-resolution imaging systems and laser-based landing technology.
According to Moon Base programme executive Carlos García-Galán, NASA hopes to complete 25 launches and deliver four metric tonnes of cargo to the Moon by 2029 during this robotic phase.
The next stage would involve constructing nuclear and solar power infrastructure, including fission reactors. By 2032, NASA hopes astronauts will be able to live in semi-permanent lunar habitats.
Astronaut galaxy projector
Rovers are also expected to allow astronauts to travel long distances across the Moon’s rocky landscape.
The Moon’s south pole is considered especially valuable because of deposits of frozen water, which could potentially be converted into drinking water or oxygen.
However, the success of the programme depends heavily on the development of a spacecraft capable of safely transporting astronauts to the lunar surface.
SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, is currently developing the Starship Human Landing System for NASA, but the project has experienced repeated delays and technical setbacks.
“The limiting step is getting the astronauts down onto the surface,” said Dr Barber.
“It sounds to me like NASA feels under pressure to show it has a plan, so there’s clearly a strong political element behind this.”