NASA Scraps Lunar Space Station, Opts for Moon Base

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NASA has scrapped plans for the Lunar Gateway space station in orbit around the moon, and will instead focus on building a $20 billion moon base over the next seven years. The new agency chief, Jared Isaacman, said the move is aimed at supporting "sustained operations on the lunar surface" through a three-phase approach that will first bring robotic landers and equipment, then semi-habitable infrastructure for regular astronaut visits, and finally permanent lunar infrastructure.

Why it matters

This shift in NASA's plans for returning to the moon is the latest in a series of changes to the Artemis program, the agency's flagship moon initiative. The decision to forgo the Lunar Gateway in favor of a moon base is seen as a way for the US to accelerate its lunar plans amid China's push to land astronauts on the moon by 2030.

The details

NASA chief Jared Isaacman said the $20 billion moon base will be built across dozens of missions over the next seven years. The first phase will bring robotic landers and other equipment to aid astronaut transportation, communication, and scientific endeavors on the lunar surface. The second phase will see the arrival of "semi-habitable infrastructure" allowing regular astronaut visits, and the third phase will launch the construction of permanent lunar infrastructure. Isaacman acknowledged that repurposing the hardware originally intended for the Lunar Gateway won't be straightforward, but said existing equipment and international commitments can be redirected.

• NASA plans to increase the number of Artemis missions to two per year after Artemis V, set for 2028.
• The US will launch a nuclear-propelled spacecraft to Mars by the end of 2028, aiming to deliver a fleet of robotic helicopters.

What they’re saying

What’s next

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