NASA shifts from visiting the moon to building on it
The agency stated that the program plans to shift from "visit the moon" to "build infrastructure on the moon."
NASA reveals next steps in Moon Base strategy for long-term lunar presence
NASA shared new details about its Moon Base strategy, outlining plans to establish a long-term human presence near the Moon’s South Pole. The agency unveiled new lunar rover contracts, upcoming cargo missions, and future infrastructure projects designed to support sustained operations on the lunar surface. NASA officials said the initiative represents a shift from simply visiting the Moon to building permanent systems for long-term lunar exploration.
NASA announced Tuesday a new update regarding its lunar exploration strategy, stating that the program plans to shift from "visit the moon" to "build infrastructure on the moon."
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The agency unveiled new contracts for crewed lunar rovers and uncrewed cargo landers bound for the moon.
NASA leaders also shared target launch timeframes and upcoming milestones for the first Moon Base infrastructure and exploration missions to the lunar South Pole region.
Images from Artemis II mission. (NASA Johnson National Space Center / FOX Weather)
"The Moon Base will be America’s and humanity’s first outpost on another celestial world," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said. "Every mission, crewed and uncrewed, will be a learning opportunity as we return to the lunar surface, build the infrastructure to stay, and master the skills required to live and operate in one of the most demanding and dangerous environments imaginable."
NASA said there will be three Moon Base missions designed to begin building sustained lunar operations.
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The first mission will launch no earlier than fall 2026 using Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander to deliver NASA payloads.
The equipment will include the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies instrument to study how thrusters interact with the moon’s surface, as well as the Laser Retroreflective Array, which will help orbiting spacecrafts determine precise locations.
NASA's Artemis II Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (@nasahqphoto / X)
NASA said the mission is intended to validate landing and operational capabilities needed for future crewed Artemis missions planned for 2028.
Moon Base II will launch later in 2026 and deliver more than 1,100 pounds of cargo.
Finally, Moon Base III, which is also targeted to launch this year, will fly the first payload selected through NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon initiative.
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Agency officials said the three missions are only the beginning of a much broader campaign, with more than a dozen additional Moon Base missions expected to be announced later this year.
NASA also announced major investments in lunar transportation and mobility systems.
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The agency awarded contracts worth more than $439 million combined to Astrolab and Lunar Outpost to develop the first generation of Lunar Terrain Vehicles that astronauts will eventually use to travel across the moon’s surface.
Captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, this image shows the Moon fully eclipsing the Sun. (NASA / NASA)
Officials said the long-term goal is to establish a sustained human presence near the lunar South Pole, where scientists believe water ice is trapped in permanently shadowed craters. The ice could one day provide drinking water, breathable oxygen and rocket fuel for deep-space missions.
Additionally, NASA shared new updates on MoonFall, a mission that will send four drones to fly short hops across the lunar surface while surveying potential landing sites for Artemis astronauts.
NASA's Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft rest on Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on March 31, 2026, ahead of the crewed lunar mission. (Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The drones will land on the lunar surface and gather high-resolution imagery of hard-to-reach terrain. NASA said the mission will help establish a sustained U.S. presence at the lunar South Pole.
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Finally, NASA announced plans to send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the moon. The agency said the missions will support scientific discovery, economic benefits and future crewed missions to Mars.
"We will go for the science, for all we stand to gain from an economic and technological perspective, for the innovations that will make life better here on Earth, and to prepare for where we will inevitably go next," Isaacman said.