Overview
NASA is embarking on one of the most ambitious endeavors in human history: building humanity’s first outpost on another celestial world. Located near the lunar South Pole, the Moon Base will be built step by step through a series of robotic and human missions that help us learn how to live and operate in one of the most demanding and dangerous environments imaginable. The discoveries made and lessons learned there will help shape the future of exploration, from the Moon to Mars.
Location
For generations, humans have looked up at the Moon and imagined what it would be like to live there. Now, for the first time, that vision is within reach.
NASA plans to establish the Moon Base near the lunar South Pole, a region that offers unique opportunities for exploration, discovery, and long-term human presence. This remote frontier may hold resources that can help support future explorers and answer important questions about the history of the Moon and our solar system.
But the lunar South Pole is also a place of extremes. Temperatures can swing dramatically, the terrain is rugged and unforgiving, and astronauts will face challenges unlike any encountered before. Learning to live and work in this environment will push the boundaries of science, engineering, and human capability.
Development
The Moon Base will be built in phases. NASA will begin with robotic missions that test new technologies and explore the lunar environment, then gradually build the systems and infrastructure needed to establish humanity’s first long-term presence on the Moon.
Phase One (Now–2029): Experiment and Learn
The first phase focuses on experimentation and learning. Robotic missions will explore the lunar South Pole, test critical technologies, and gather knowledge about the conditions on the lunar surface.
Rovers, landers, and drones will map the region, study its resources, and demonstrate new ways of navigating, generating power, and surviving the harsh lunar environment.
Phase Two (2029–2032): Build and Expand
As capabilities mature, NASA will begin laying the infrastructure needed to support extended operations at the lunar South Pole. Power systems, communications networks, and habitation elements will expand humanity’s footprint on the Moon and enable increasingly complex missions.
Phase Three (2032 and Beyond): Live and Work on the Moon
In the final phase, the Moon Base becomes a reality. Astronauts will live and work on the lunar surface for extended periods, supported by advanced habitats, reliable power systems, robust communications networks, and a steady flow of cargo and supplies.
By this stage, the Moon Base will serve as a center for scientific discovery, technology development, and exploration. The experience gained from operating in this challenging environment will help prepare humanity for future missions to Mars.
Collaboration
NASA’s Moon Base strategy is built on commercial participation at an unprecedented scale, combining the strengths of government, private innovation, and global collaboration.
From early demonstrations to long-term surface operations, Moon Base build-up will offer multiple entry points for industry and international collaborators to participate, innovate, and contribute. Get involved.
Leadership
Carlos García-Galán, Moon Base Program Manager
Carlos García-Galán serves as the Program Manager for Moon Base. With more than 27 years of experience in human spaceflight, he oversees the development of the Moon Base and helps guide NASA’s efforts to expand exploration of the Moon.. Read more.
History
2026
- The Moon Base was announced during NASA’s “Ignition” event on March 24, 2026, where the agency unveiled a series of transformative initiatives designed to achieve President Donald J. Trump’s National Space Policy and advance American leadership in space. During the event, NASA introduced a phased approach to establishing a lunar base and enabling an enduring human presence on the Moon.
- Following the “Ignition” event, NASA released a series of Requests for Information (RFIs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to begin advancing development of Moon Base and its supporting systems and services.
- In May 2026, NASA announced the first three Moon Base missions and new partnerships supporting sustained lunar exploration. The agency selected Astrolab and Lunar Outpost to develop lunar terrain vehicles, awarded Blue Origin task orders supporting delivery of those vehicles to the lunar surface, and selected Firefly Aerospace to build the spacecraft that will transport NASA’s MoonFall drones to the Moon.
Every mission, crewed and uncrewed, will be a learning opportunity as we return to the lunar surface, build the infrastructure to stay, and master the skills required to live and operate in one of the most demanding and dangerous environments imaginable. We will go for the science, for all we stand to gain from an economic and technological perspective, for the innovations that will make life better here on Earth, and to prepare for where we will inevitably go next.
Temperatures at the lunar South Pole can range from more than 130°F (54°C) in sunlit areas to as low as -334°F (-203°C) inside permanently shadowed craters.
Shackleton Crater is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. Its permanently shadowed interior is believed to contain ice, making it a leading target for future lunar exploration.
As part of Moon Base, NASA is advancing radioisotope heating demonstrations to help protect surface assets during cold lunar nights and operations in permanently shadowed regions.
Built on the legacy of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, MoonFall drones are designed to reach locations on the Moon that are difficult or impossible for traditional rovers to access.
NASA’s VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) will conduct the first resource-mapping mission of the Moon, using advanced instruments to identify the location and concentration of water at the lunar South Pole region.
NASA is partnering with American industry through the CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative to deliver a steady cadence of robotic missions to the lunar South Pole region in support of Moon Base development.
NASA is advancing fission power technologies to provide reliable, long-term energy for future operations on the Moon.
During Phase Two of Moon Base development, a pressurized rover supplied by JAXA is expected to dramatically expand how far astronauts can explore across the lunar South Pole.
Lunar regolith may one day help support life on the Moon. Researchers are studying how Moon dust could be used to build structures, grow crops, and even produce oxygen and rocket propellant for future exploration.
