NASA Plans to Deploy a Habitable Station on the Moon by 2032

Some scientists believe China will overtake the US by establishing its base on the Moon. Photo: NASA

NASA has revealed details about robotic landers, "hopping" drones, and vehicles planned for the Moon as part of American plans to establish a lunar base, writes the BBC.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's space company Blue Origin is one of several companies chosen to build these vehicles.

The US wants to return Americans to the Moon before President Donald Trump leaves office in 2028.

However, NASA is competing with China to return humans to the Moon, meaning the space agency is under pressure to appear victorious in the new space race.

China is moving forward with its plans to land humans on the Moon by 2030.

On Monday, it launched its "Shenzhou-23" spacecraft, sending a crew of astronauts to the Chinese orbiting station "Tiangong."

In March, NASA announced a $20 billion program to build a permanent base on the Moon's south pole by 2032, powered by nuclear and solar energy.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated on Tuesday that the US "will never again abandon the Moon."

Establishing a base on the Moon would allow the US to conduct scientific experiments, potentially extract valuable resources, and make flights to Mars simpler.

However, most experts agree that the timelines outlined by NASA are unrealistic.

Despite the US's success in sending four astronauts around the Moon as part of the "Artemis II" mission in April, some scientists believe that China is more likely to be the next country to land humans on the lunar surface.

"It would not surprise me at all if China does it first," Simeon Barber, a lunar research specialist at the UK's Open University, told the BBC, citing NASA's failures in enabling human lunar landings.

The Ignition Moon Base program consists of three phases.

Before sending a crewed mission to the Moon, NASA plans to send robotic landers and "hopping" drones for research and mapping the Moon's complex terrain.

Vehicles capable of transporting astronauts across the lunar surface and carrying communication equipment and scientific instruments are also planned.

On Tuesday, NASA announced that contracts for building these machines would go to companies such as Blue Origin, Intuitive Machines, and Astrobotic.

Павялічыць

NASA showed what a lunar base might look like

According to NASA's concept, Blue Origin's lunar lander named Endurance could perform precise landings, as well as autonomous navigation and control.

Astrobotic's Griffin-1 lander is expected to make a landing in the Nobile crater near the South Pole.

These vehicles will also deliver scientific instruments, including high-resolution cameras and tools that use reflected laser light during landing.

This robotic exploration program is expected to continue until 2029, involving 25 launches to the Moon and delivering 4 tons of cargo, stated Carlos Garcia-Galan, head of the lunar base program, on Tuesday.

Next, NASA plans to build nuclear and solar power installations, including reactors, on the Moon.

Павялічыць

This is what a drone on the Moon for exploring the South Pole might look like

By 2032, NASA expects people could be living on the Moon in "semi-permanent" habitats.

Lunar rovers would allow astronauts to cover long distances across the rocky surface.

The Moon's South Pole is particularly attractive because frozen water could be used for drinking or oxygen production.

However, NASA's plans depend on the readiness of a spacecraft capable of safely transporting humans to the Moon.

Elon Musk's company SpaceX won a contract to build a spacecraft called the Starship Human Landing System, but has faced numerous difficulties and delays.

"Landing astronauts on the surface remains the limiting factor," comments Barber. "It seems to me that [NASA] feels it's time for them to start talking about having plans. So I think there's a big political undercurrent to this."

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