Assembly in Progress
NASA is building a Moon Base near the lunar South Pole to strengthen American leadership in space, unlock scientific discovery, drive innovation with industry and international collaborators, and prepare humanity for missions to Mars.
Learn MoreNASA Announces Major New Developments for Moon Base
NASA announced a suite of new awards and mission updates Nov. 7 to expand the agency’s Moon Base exploration, science, and infrastructure capabilities. The investments will advance commercial robotic deliveries, a nuclear-powered rover, launch and orbital-transfer services, and surface infrastructure as the agency works with American industry to establish a sustained presence near the Moon’s South Pole.
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NASA’s Nuclear-Powered Lunar Rover
From Mars to the Moon, NASA’s PROMISE rover will bring proven Mars rover technology to the lunar South Pole. Equipped with a suite of science instruments and technology demonstrations, PROMISE will investigate the lunar surface and subsurface, search for evidence of water ice and other resources, and gather valuable data to advance lunar science and help prepare for humanity’s first lunar outpost.
Learn MoreNASA Announces $1 Million to Students for Moon Base Challenge
NASA’s new $1 million Moon Base Student Challenge invites students to develop innovative solutions for living and working on the Moon. From power and construction to mobility and astronaut safety, students will tackle real challenges associated with establishing a sustained human presence on the lunar surface. Registration is open through Jan. 25, 2027.
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Help Build the Moon Base
The Moon Base represents one of the most ambitious engineering and exploration efforts in human history — and it cannot be achieved alone. NASA is partnering with commercial industry, academia, and innovators around the world to develop the technologies, infrastructure, and capabilities needed to establish an enduring human presence on the Moon.
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Why the Lunar South Pole region?
The Moon Base will be built in one of the most extreme environments humans have ever set out to explore.
The lunar South Pole region offers unique opportunities for exploration, scientific discovery, and a long-term human presence. The region may contain resources that could one day help support future explorers. Studying this part of the Moon could also help scientists answer important questions about the history of the Moon, Earth, and our solar system.
How will we build the Moon Base?
Three phases. Many missions. One goal: build the Moon Base.
NASA will establish the Moon Base through a phased, iterative approach that builds capability over time. By starting with near-term technology demonstrations, robotic missions, and early experiments, NASA and its partners can test systems, learn quickly, and steadily mature the capabilities needed to support an enduring human presence on the Moon.
Moon Base News
NASA Adds New Science Investigations for Moon Base
NASA Challenge Tests Wheel Designs for Moon Base Mobility
NASA Completes Astronaut-Deployed Science Instrument for Lunar Surface
Building the Moon Base: NASA Stories at the Ion
Lunar Exploration
The Moon is a 4.5-billion-year-old time capsule.
As Earth’s nearest planetary neighbor, the Moon has profound potential to be a source of new scientific advances. It is also the best place for us to test our deep space systems and operations in preparation for the first human mission to another planet: Mars.
Lunar Science
The Moon holds clues to the evolution of Earth, the planets, and the Sun.
Every mission to the Moon is an opportunity for new discoveries. Studying the Moon can help scientists answer important questions about the history and evolution of the Moon, Earth, and our solar system.
Lunar Technology
Discover the technologies NASA is advancing to support the next chapter of lunar exploration
Surface power. Autonomous robots. Lunar dust mitigation. These are just some of the technologies and capabilities NASA is advancing to support long-term exploration near the lunar South Pole.
Moon to Mars
The Moon is not our final destination. It’s a proving ground.
The Moon Base will help NASA learn what it takes to live and work on another celestial body. The knowledge, technologies, and operational experience gained on the lunar surface will help prepare for future human missions to Mars.
Moon Base 101
Step into the future of lunar exploration with this episode of “Houston We Have a Podcast,” the official podcast of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. In a conversation with NASA Moon Base Program Manager Carlos García-Galán, learn how the Moon Base will take shape over time, the capabilities and partnerships that will help enable an enduring human presence on the lunar surface, and the progress already underway to turn that vision into reality.
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Moon Base Learning Resources
Discover the wonders of the Moon and the future Moon Base with this collection of NASA learning resources. Explore the Moon through interactive experiences, get an up-close look at Moon rocks, download a Moon Base poster or postcard, and even 3D print your own set of lunar geology tools.
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