NASA will spend 20 billion USD to build a base on the Moon

The change comes amid NASA’s efforts to accelerate progress on Artemis – the program to return humans to the Moon, establish a sustainable presence on this celestial body and pave the way for a mission to Mars. This is part of a broader effort to align the workforce, simplify program structure, increase launch cadence and compete with China’s lunar ambitions, Isaacman said.

“NASA will discontinue the Gateway project and shift its focus to infrastructure that allows long-term operations on the lunar surface. Despite some challenges with current hardware, the agency will reuse appropriate equipment and leverage the commitment of international partners to support this goal,” Isaacman said.

The Gateway Lunar Orbital Station was originally designed to be both a transit point for crews flying to the Moon and a research station. The stoppage of station construction was not too surprising because previously, some experts had evaluated the project as a waste of money and a distraction from other lunar missions.

The new decision will allow resources to be redirected to a base near the lunar south pole. Currently, NASA plans to spend $20 billion over 7 years to build the base through three phases including dozens of missions, collaborating with many commercial and international partners, towards a methodical and feasible plan.

The decision on March 24 is NASA’s latest change after many adjustments to the Artemis program, which often encounters obstacles and delays. The Artemis 1 unmanned mission was repeatedly delayed, finally launching in November 2022. In February this year, the Artemis 2 launch also had to be postponed due to a problem with the helium flow feeding the upper stage engine of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The new launch date is expected to be April 1.

Last month, NASA announced a major overhaul of the program. The Artemis 3 mission will not send humans to the lunar surface, instead performing a series of technology tests in low Earth orbit. The next flight, Artemis 4, is expected to take place in 2028 and return humans to the lunar surface for the first time in more than five decades.