NASA has launched its plan to build a permanent base on the Moon following the space policy directive originally signed by President Donald Trump, which instructed NASA to return humans to the Moon and use lunar exploration as a stepping stone towards Mars. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the mission would provide new scientific development, stimulate a lunar economy and serve as a testing ground for the technologies required for future crewed missions to Mars.
The plan forms part of NASA’s Artemis programme, which aims to establish a lasting human presence on and around the Moon. NASA’s Artemis Base Camp concept includes a lunar cabin, rovers and mobile habitat systems that would eventually allow astronauts to remain on the lunar surface for longer periods of time.
The difficult conditions on the Moon will require NASA to develop new equipment and survival systems capable of operating in a hostile environment. Some permanently shadowed regions near the lunar south pole have not received sunlight for billions of years and can reach temperatures close to minus 204 Degrees Celsius, while the lunar surface is also exposed to micrometeorites, radiation and extreme temperature changes.
NASA’s first phase will focus on robotic and uncrewed missions, including landers, rovers and drones to scout the lunar south pole and begin deploying equipment. The Associated Press reported that NASA has selected private companies including Blue Origin, Astrolab, Lunar Outpost and Firefly Aerospace for early lander, rover and drone work connected to the Moon base plan.
Foreign partners collaborating with NASA include the European Space Agency, Canada, South Korea, and Japan all of which are already involved in different parts of the Artemis architecture. NASA has described Artemis as an international programme intended to combine American leadership with commercial and foreign partnerships in order to build an enduring presence on the Moon
Footage of press conference can be found here.
Newsroom
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