NASA Details Its Plan to Build a Lunar Base at the Moon's South Pole

NASA presented a phased plan to build the first lunar base at the Moon’s south pole. A sustained human presence will require at least a decade of construction for a space research center, while near-term missions will establish technological and symbolic foundations. The plan replaces the Gateway orbital station approach and shifts focus to the lunar surface to reduce operating costs and accelerate Artemis. The program has three phases. From 2026 to 2029, robotic exploration and experimentation will test technologies for future crewed missions, including at least 25 missions and 21 surface landings. Early efforts include testing Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance module in fall 2026 to validate controlled descent, navigation, and positioning without astronauts, with a possible manned version around 2028.

"NASA finally presented the details of its phased plan to create the first lunar base at the moon's south pole. Although the construction of a space research center that will allow a sustained human presence will take at least a decade, the missions that will lay its technological and symbolic foundations will start in the next few years. Among them is the test of Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander, scheduled for the end of 2026."

"The Moon Base project replaced in priority the Gateway program, an orbital station similar to the International Space Station that would serve as a node between the Earth and the moon. At the beginning of 2026, NASA rethought and simplified its strategy: It decided to concentrate resources on the lunar surface, reducing operating costs and accelerating the Artemis schedule. After weeks of silence, the agency published its new plan."

"So far, the plan for the lunar base consists of three phases. The first, from 2026 to 2029, will be dedicated to robotic exploration and experimentation missions. In this phase, NASA and its private partners will test the technologies needed for future manned missions. According to a recent press conference, phase one will be particularly active: at least 25 missions and 21 surface landings."

"One of the first key missions will be the test of the Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance module in fall 2026. Its purpose is to evaluate conditions for a controlled descent and validate navigation and positioning technology. It will not carry astronauts. If the mission is successful, Blue Origin plans a manned version around 2028, possibly with Blue Moon Mark 2."

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