NASA announced Tuesday that three uncrewed missions will launch to the moon later this year as the opening phase of an ambitious plan to build a permanent lunar base.
Dubbed Moon Base 1, 2, and 3, the robotic flights will scout landing sites near the South Pole, test technologies, and gather scientific data. The first mission is scheduled for no earlier than this fall, with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin contracted to deliver two science and technology payloads using its lunar lander.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized a gradual approach. “We are not jumping right into the glass dome moon base,” he said, describing the strategy as iterative, with successive waves of landers, rovers, and technology demonstrations building toward permanent infrastructure.
Phase one runs through 2029. Phase two, from 2029 to 2032, aims to assemble semi-permanent habitation facilities. By phase three, beginning in 2032, NASA envisions sustained crew rotations with continuous lunar surface activity. Program manager Carlos Garcia-Galan said the base could ultimately span hundreds of square miles. Running alongside this effort is the Artemis program: Artemis III is targeted for 2027 and Artemis IV aims to land astronauts on the moon in 2028.
