WASHINGTON: The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) unveiled its plans for establishing a lunar base by 2032, during a...
WASHINGTON: The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) unveiled its plans for establishing a lunar base by 2032, during a press conference by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.
According to the plans that he presented to the media, phase one will last until 2029, with several crewed and uncrewed missions to the Moon that will conduct experiments and ensure reliable access to the Moon surface.
During phase two, to last from 2029 to 2032, NASA will build temporary and long-term infrastructure on the surface of the Earth’s natural satellite and will establish its temporary presence.
Phase three, to begin in 2032, will be aimed at creating a permanent presence on the Moon with rotating crews.
During phase one, NASA will launch three Moon Base uncrewed missions. During Moon Base I, which is targeted for launch no earlier than fall 2026, NASA will use Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 endurance lander to deliver equipment to study the Moon’s surface and how thrusters interact with it.
Moon Base II, planned for launch later this year, will deliver more than 1,100 pounds of cargo on Astrobotic’s Griffin lander, including Astrolab’s FLIP rover.
Moon Base III, also targeted for this year, will fly on Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C Trinity lunar lander and study lunar swirls, or light spots on the surface of the Moon, to improve the understanding of surface evolution and material behavior under extreme conditions. The mission will include payloads from ESA (European Space Agency) and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.
These missions are the first of more than a dozen missions that will be announced this year, 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," he added.
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