NASA has revealed a series of important initiatives to fulfill the United States’ National Space Policy
The main objective is to return to the Moon during President Donald J.
Trump’s term, build a lunar base, and establish a lasting human presence on Earth’s natural satellite.
During the event called “Ignition,” the American space agency explained that it will focus its resources on accelerating the Artemis program.
This includes standardizing the SLS rocket, adding another mission in 2027, and conducting at least one crewed landing on the lunar surface per year from then on.
After the Artemis V mission, astronauts should set foot on the Moon more frequently, initially every six months, using commercial reusable vehicles.
To create the lunar base, NASA has adopted a clear and progressive three-phase approach:
In the first phase, called “Build, Test, and Learn,” the agency will increase the pace of robotic missions using the CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) program.
Rovers, instruments, and technologies will be sent to test mobility, power generation, communications, and surface operations.
The goal is to learn from each landing in a modular and repeatable way.
In the second phase, an initial semi-habitable infrastructure will be created, with regular logistics to support astronauts for longer periods.
This stage involves important contributions from international partners, such as Japan’s pressurized rover (JAXA) and other scientific equipment.
In the third phase, with the support of human landing systems capable of carrying heavy payloads, NASA will deliver larger structures, including multi-purpose habitats (such as those proposed by the Italian space agency ASI) and utility vehicles (such as the Canadian one).
This will allow for a continuous human presence, transforming periodic visits into a permanent base.
The agency has also decided to pause the current Gateway station project in lunar orbit to redirect efforts and equipment to infrastructure on the lunar surface.
The entire plan is being built in partnership with American industry and international allies, with an estimated investment of approximately $20 billion over the next seven years.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized that returning to the Moon and building a lunar base are essential to securing U.S. leadership in space amidst fierce global competition.
According to him, by aligning resources, removing obstacles, and uniting the workforce and industry, the U.S. can achieve far greater feats in the future.
These initiatives demonstrate a clear and practical focus: learning step by step, building incrementally, and creating conditions for humans to live and work sustainably on the Moon.
The lunar base will serve as a springboard for further space exploration, including future missions to Mars.
Published in 03/29/2026 17h14
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.
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