CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA is moving ahead with early preparations for a large-scale Moon base, ordering landers, rovers, and drones just weeks after the Artemis II lunar flyaround.
NASA Launches Phase 1 Contracts for Moon Base Hardware Development
On Tuesday, the agency unveiled Phase 1 plans and awarded hundreds of millions in contracts to four U.S. companies. Blue Origin will provide two landers to carry rovers to the Moon’s south pole, while Astrolab and Lunar Outpost will build the lunar terrain vehicles. Meanwhile, Firefly Aerospace will deliver the first drones to the lunar surface.
The goal is for all of this equipment to reach the Moon before the first Artemis crewed landing, currently targeted for as early as 2028.
During April’s Artemis II mission, four astronauts completed a flight around the Moon, venturing farther into deep space than the Apollo crews did in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
In Artemis III next year, another astronaut team will practice docking NASA’s Orion spacecraft in Earth orbit with lunar landers that Blue Origin and SpaceX are developing for crewed missions.
Artemis III Planned for 2027, With Moon Base Expansion Into the 2030s
NASA is aiming for Artemis III in mid-2027, with a possible lunar landing by two astronauts as early as 2028. The second phase of the Moon base plan, running from 2029 into the early 2030s, will focus on constructing long-term infrastructure such as a power grid.
They expect a fully operational base capable of supporting astronauts in dedicated habitats for extended stays to come later in the 2030s during the third phase.
“Then we’ll be able to say, ‘We’re here for good, and we’re not leaving,’” said NASA moon base program executive Carlos Garcia-Galan.
Moon Base Envisioned to Span Hundreds of Square Miles, Monitored by MoonFall Drones
Garcia-Galan imagines a lunar base that could eventually span hundreds of square miles, with its boundaries monitored by drones—called MoonFall—positioned around the outer edges.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says the markers show respect for spacecraft and equipment from other countries that could be operating nearby. He also said he expects other nations to extend the same courtesy in return.
Isaacman emphasizes that the Moon base is designed to support a developing lunar economy, advance scientific research, and help prepare for future missions to Mars.
“For those who have been waiting patiently, the long-awaited return is near, and we won’t be slowing down,” he said. “We’re only just beginning.”
Read the original article on: sciencealert
Read more: The galaxy’s coldest “stars” could actually be enormous structures built by aliens