NASA Unveiled The First Phase Of Their “Moon Base” Program
May 27, 2026, 11:00 AM
Less than two months after Artemis II’s record-breaking fly around of the Moon in April 2026, NASA is already ordering landers, rovers, and drones for a sprawling base near the lunar south pole.
The key contracts awarded yesterday:
- Blue Origin — will provide a pair of landers to deliver moon buggies to the surface
- Astrolab and Lunar Outpost — will build the lunar terrain vehicles those landers carry
- Firefly Aerospace — will deliver the first drones ever sent to the Moon (after its successful lunar landing last year)
A Blue Origin demonstration flight is targeted for fall 2026, and a second mission (“Moon Base 2”) will be the largest commercial payload ever delivered to the lunar surface — more than 500 kg of cargo, including Astrolab’s FLIP rover.
The Three-Phase Timeline
The base will be built in three phases over roughly a decade, at a cost of about $10 billion per phase ($20 billion committed over the next seven years):
| Phase | Timeframe | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Now – ~2028 | Robotic deliveries, rovers, drones; Artemis III docking test (mid-2027); first crewed landing (Artemis IV, early 2028) |
| Phase 2 | 2029 – early 2030s | Permanent infrastructure build-out, including a lunar power grid and a fission reactor (promised by 2030) |
| Phase 3 | Mid-2030s | Specialized permanent habitats supporting extended crew stays; potentially multiple base locations |
After Artemis IV, NASA plans to land astronauts on the Moon roughly every six months, using commercial reusable rockets from SpaceX and Blue Origin rather than its own SLS.
Why It Matters
This isn’t Apollo 2.0. NASA is explicitly framing Moon Base as infrastructure for a sustained presence — long-duration stays, expanded robotic and human capabilities, and a stepping stone toward Mars. The geopolitical backdrop is also key: China has already landed robotic missions on the far side of the Moon, and the U.S. is positioning this program to maintain its lead in deep-space exploration.
BBC reported that NASA’s renderings show permanent human habitation on the Moon by 2032.
