NASA announced plans to spend $20 billion over the next seven years to build a moon base near the lunar south pole, featuring habitats, pressurized rovers and nuclear power systems. The announcement came days before the planned launch of Artemis II, and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency envisions launching two moon-landing missions per year to establish a semi-permanent astronaut presence for exploration, research and Mars preparation.
Isaacman opened meetings with contractors at NASA Headquarters in Washington, describing a step-by-step approach to build experience, reduce risk and gain confidence. “This time, the goal is to stay,” he said, contrasting the effort with Apollo’s flags-and-footprints missions. He said NASA will work with no fewer than two launch providers, aiming for crewed landings every six months and creating opportunities for additional entrants.
The revised Artemis architecture shifts away from a government-owned Space Launch System toward competitive commercial rockets being developed by companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. NASA will “pause” the Gateway lunar-orbit space station program in its current form and repurpose Gateway components for surface operations to better support the lunar base envisioned by recent national policy.
Nuclear power and commercial stations emphasized
Senior NASA managers outlined development of nuclear power systems for the moon and Mars to provide heat and electricity for habitats, equipment and construction. The first planned deployment is the Skyfall mission to Mars in 2028, using a fission reactor called Space Reactor 1 (SR-1) to power a nuclear-electric propulsion system delivering three small helicopters to test future landing-site scouting. SR-1 will be a precursor to nuclear power technologies intended for the moon.
Closer to Earth, NASA will continue encouraging development of commercial space stations to maintain U.S. presence in low-Earth orbit after the International Space Station retires around 2030. Officials said ISS and commercial crew ferries have not generated the expected private-sector interest, so the agency is exploring incentives such as allowing more privately financed non-astronaut research aboard the ISS, “selling” commander slots to qualified non-astronauts and using the lab to assemble private modules that could later operate independently.
Budget, hardware reuse and schedule
Isaacman said NASA can fund the new Artemis architecture, space nuclear power, ongoing science missions and commercialization efforts within its existing budget by repurposing hardware, trimming inefficiency and reallocating priorities. He rejected the idea that NASA’s top-line funding is the main obstacle, arguing allocation and efficiency must improve.
Near-term changes include adding a low-Earth-orbit test next year to exercise rendezvous and docking procedures using Orion crew ships and commercial moon landers. Depending on Artemis II and III results, NASA plans at least one and possibly two moon landing missions in 2028 — Artemis IV and V — using one or more privately developed landers, then a steady cadence of flights to build out the moon base.
Gateway pause and surface-first focus
Under the prior architecture, Gateway would have operated in a distant elliptical lunar orbit where Orion crew ships would rendezvous with docked landers. The revised plan will have Orion crews transfer directly to landers without stopping at an orbital way station. NASA will repurpose Gateway modules and international partner contributions to support surface infrastructure instead of continuing Gateway in its originally planned form, though the agency left open the possibility of revisiting an orbital outpost later.
Isaacman said shifting workforce priority to the lunar surface will make the moon a proving ground for Mars initiatives and allow repurposed equipment to better support sustained surface operations. He acknowledged past program changes and budget overruns and said the agency must avoid adding billions and years that are unaffordable.
Three-phase moon base plan
NASA’s moon base will be built in three phases. Phase 1 transitions from infrequent missions to a templated approach that increases learning through experimentation, delivering rovers, instruments and technology payloads that test mobility, power, communications, navigation and surface operations. Phase 2 will develop habitats and infrastructure supporting regular astronaut operations on the surface. Phase 3 will establish the permanent infrastructure needed to sustain a long-term human presence.
Planned capabilities include nuclear and solar power systems, crewed and uncrewed rovers (including equipment to prepare construction sites), a cellphone-like communications network, a lunar GPS system and constellations of observation and relay satellites. Isaacman said the base will be built through dozens of missions with commercial and international partners and that NASA will invest roughly $20 billion over seven years to develop it.
Science missions and commercial LEO
Alongside lunar efforts, NASA will maintain a steady stream of planetary and science missions, including the Skyfall test to Mars. The agency also plans to accelerate work enabling commercial space stations in low-Earth orbit to ensure continuity after the ISS retirement.
Geopolitical urgency and public expectations
Isaacman emphasized that failure to achieve these goals is not an option, especially with rivals pursuing lunar objectives. He said NASA will take “uncomfortable action” if needed when schedules slip or budgets are exceeded, arguing the public has invested heavily and expects progress. The Planetary Society estimates NASA will have spent about $107 billion on return-to-the-moon efforts through 2026 in inflation-adjusted dollars, largely due to repeated changes in policy over two decades.
Program heritage and shifts
The agency’s lunar focus has shifted under multiple administrations: after the 2003 Columbia disaster, the Constellation program aimed for a 2020 return to the moon; that program was later replaced with an asteroid mission; the Trump administration refocused NASA on the moon with Artemis and a proposed 2024 landing; and the Biden administration largely retained Artemis while the program faced delays from the COVID pandemic, budget constraints and other issues. Isaacman noted the revised architecture has White House approval and reflects changes intended to deliver sustainable lunar operations rather than one-off returns.
Contractors and next steps
NASA has asked contractors to propose alternatives to Gateway’s original orbital role and to support the surface-first strategy. The agency plans to ramp up lunar and cargo flights, expand technology demonstrations, and accelerate development of power, mobility and communications systems. If timelines hold, Artemis II will proceed as planned, followed by additional missions that transition toward regular crewed landings and development of the lunar south pole base.
