NASA has unveiled plans for three unmanned lunar missions set to launch later this year, marking a significant step towards its long-term objective of establishing a permanent lunar base.
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These robotic lunar missions will focus on scouting potential sites at the moon’s south pole, gathering scientific data, testing advanced technologies, and laying the groundwork for the return of astronauts to the lunar surface.
“We’re not going to jump into a glass dome moon base right away,” stated NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman during Tuesday’s press briefing. “Our approach will be iterative, signaling industry demand for an array of landers, rovers, technology demonstrations, and scientific payloads these missions can accommodate.”
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The upcoming lunar missions have been designated Moonbase 1, Moonbase 2, and Moonbase 3, all expected to launch by year-end. Isaacman announced that the inaugural mission is slated for this fall.
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin will be instrumental in the first mission, having secured a NASA contract to transport two science and technology payloads to the moon using its Lunar Lander.
These three flights represent the initial phase of NASA’s comprehensive strategy to establish a moon base, which is projected to continue until 2029. Following this, between 2029 and 2032, NASA aims to develop semi-permanent infrastructure conducive to early lunar habitation.
The agency aspires to establish a sustained lunar presence by the third phase commencing in 2032. Carlos García Galán, NASA’s Moonbase program manager, remarked that the base could encompass “hundreds of square miles,” with crew rotations on the lunar surface planned for regular intervals and continuous operations.
NASA’s lunar base initiative is designed to parallel the Artemis return program. Recently, the Artemis II mission successfully sent four astronauts on a 10-day journey around Earth and the moon, the first U.S. mission to the moon in over 50 years.
Next on NASA’s agenda is the Artemis III mission, targeted for 2027, utilizing one or both lunar landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX to validate technologies in low Earth orbit. If all goes according to plan, NASA anticipates launching the Artemis IV mission to put astronauts on the lunar surface in 2028.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
