NASA has unveiled revamped plans to build a moon base near the lunar south pole that will one day allow for American astronauts to have a permanent presence on Earth's celestial neighbor.
The vision for creating a lunar settlement for astronauts to live and work has never been a secret, as NASA has long made clear that's been one of the chief goals of its Artemis program. But for the first time, the U.S. space agency has detailed specifics about the plan, including a phased roadmap.
Announced Tuesday, March 24, the new plans also now require canceling the construction and deployment of a space station in lunar orbit, NASA said. Components from that project will instead go toward building a $20 billion base on the moon's surface.
The overhaul is the latest instance in which the U.S. space agency has reshaped its lunar program under NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who assumed leadership in December as an appointee of President Donald Trump.
The reimagined lunar program, which still includes plans for an increased cadence of human moon landings beginning in 2028, also comes amid a heated space race to the moon between the U.S. and China.
