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6h ago

NASA Lays Out Roadmap to Build Permanent Moon Base by 2032

The agency plans stepped robotic scouting, commercial landers and crew-capable rovers to cut risk and prepare for astronaut missions.

Artist’s rendering depicting astronauts, habitats, rovers, power systems, and cargo operations supporting sustained human activities at the Moon Base near the lunar South Pole. (NASA)
Artist’s rendering of conceptual Moon Base Phase Three development activities near the lunar South Pole. (NASA)
Astrobotic’s Griffin lunar lander is seen inside the company’s integration facility. (Astrobotic)
Artist’s rendering of a MoonFall drone operating near the lunar South Pole.

Overview

  • NASA announced its Moon Base roadmap on Tuesday, May 26, unveiling a three‑phase plan that moves from robotic scouting through early habitation to a sustained human presence beginning in 2032.
  • The agency named three uncrewed 'Moon Base' missions due later in 2026, with Moon Base I targeted no earlier than fall 2026 using Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander to test landing and plume‑surface effects.
  • NASA awarded firm contracts to develop and deliver lunar terrain vehicles, giving Astrolab $219 million and Lunar Outpost $220 million, and issued a Blue Origin task order worth $188 million to ferry payloads to the south pole.
  • The Jet Propulsion Laboratory will deploy four small hopping MoonFall drones to map hard‑to‑reach terrain and prospect for ice, with Firefly Aerospace selected to build the delivery spacecraft and launch targeted for 2028.
  • Phase one is sized as roughly 25 launches, 21 landings and about 400 metric tons of surface cargo through 2029, and NASA says crewed landing dates in 2027–2028 depend on successful robotic demonstrations and partner readiness which will affect Artemis schedules and commercial activity.