NASA's moon base plans include landers, buggies and drones for 2028 mission
Summary
NASA is planning to build a moon base and has started ordering landers, rovers, and drones for a mission around 2028. The first phase includes contracts with several U.S. companies to deliver equipment near the moon’s south pole before astronauts land there.Key Facts
- NASA awarded contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars to four U.S. companies for moon landers, rovers, and drones.
- Blue Origin will provide two landers to deliver moon buggies, called lunar terrain vehicles, near the moon’s south pole.
- Firefly Aerospace will deliver the first drones to the moon.
- The Artemis III mission is planned for mid-2027 to test docking with lunar landers in Earth orbit, leading to a moon landing by 2028.
- In the second phase (2029 to early 2030s), NASA will start building permanent infrastructure, including a power grid for the base.
- The third phase in the 2030s aims to create permanent habitats for long-term astronaut stays.
- NASA’s goal is to support scientific research, develop a lunar economy, and prepare for future Mars missions.
- NASA plans to spend about $20 billion on the moon base mission over the next seven years.
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