Nasa unveils next steps to build permanent Moon base

Nasa has outlined its next steps toward establishing a permanent Moon base, focusing on deploying robotic landers, hopping drones, and lunar vehicles as precursors to human missions. The agency has awarded contracts to companies including Blue Origin, Intuitive Machines, and Astrobotic to develop these machines, which will explore and map the Moon’s terrain, particularly near the South Pole. This robotic phase is planned to continue until 2029, with around 25 launches delivering approximately four metric tonnes of cargo to the lunar surface. The initiative is part of a broader $20 billion programme aimed at constructing a sustainable lunar base by 2032, which would enable scientific research, resource mining, and serve as a stepping stone for future Mars exploration. Nasa’s administrator, Jared Isaacman, emphasized the long-term commitment to maintaining a US presence on the Moon. The robotic missions will include precision landings, autonomous navigation, and deployment of scientific instruments such as high-resolution cameras and laser-based landing aids. Nasa’s efforts come amid intensifying competition with China, which is advancing its own lunar ambitions with plans to land humans on the Moon by 2030. China recently launched its Shenzhou-23 spacecraft to its Tiangong space station, signaling rapid progress in its space program. Some experts express skepticism about Nasa’s timeline, noting challenges in developing human-rated lunar landers and suggesting China may reach the Moon first. The Moon base programme involves three phases, starting with robotic exploration, followed by the construction of power systems including nuclear and solar facilities. These developments are critical for supporting long-duration human missions and establishing a permanent foothold on the Moon, which could transform lunar exploration and bolster future interplanetary travel.