NASA plans to build city on the Moon by 2032

Detailed summary

NASA has unveiled plans to establish a permanent Moon base by 2032, backed by billions of dollars in commercial contracts, robotic missions and new lunar technology.

NASA is planning to build a permanent base on the Moon by 2032, with astronauts eventually able to live and work there for extended periods.

The ambitious plans were revealed at the agency's Max Power event at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where NASA announced new contracts covering lunar landers, robotic exploration, power systems and space transportation.

NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said: "When our astronauts return to the Moon, they will arrive with the first elements of the Moon Base already waiting for them on the surface."

The agency wants essential equipment and raw materials delivered ahead of human missions, allowing astronauts to begin establishing infrastructure rather than starting from scratch.

The plans represent a major change from NASA's previous approach, with the agency abandoning its long-delayed Lunar Gateway project in favour of developing infrastructure directly on the lunar surface.

NASA's strategy will unfold in three stages, beginning with robotic exploration before moving towards "semi-habitable infrastructure" and eventually a permanent base.

A major part of the programme is a 10-year contract worth up to $10 billion (£7.5 billion) for lunar deliveries, including the development and operation of landers.

NASA is also developing a nuclear-powered rover called the Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping and In-Situ Exploration, or Promise.

Unlike solar-powered vehicles, Promise could continue operating during the Moon's two-week-long lunar night.

Opening of the article, excerpted from PerthNow. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.