NASA wants to put a $20 billion base on the Moon | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.NASA wants to put a $20 billion base on the MoonComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...ScienceCloseSciencePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ScienceNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsSpaceCloseSpacePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All SpaceNASA wants to put a $20 billion base on the MoonNASA head Jared Isaacman also outlined plans to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars by the end of 2028.NASA head Jared Isaacman also outlined plans to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars by the end of 2028.by Emma RothCloseEmma RothNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Emma RothMar 24, 2026, 9:47 PM UTCLinkShareGiftNASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. AFP via Getty ImagesEmma RothCloseEmma RothPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has big plans for the future of the agency, including the construction of a $20 billion lunar base that he said will establish an “enduring presence” on the Moon. Isaacman announced the news during NASA’s Ignition event on Tuesday, where he also described goals to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars, as reported earlier by the New York Times.As a result of plans to establish a base on the Moon, NASA announced that it’s pausing its Gateway project “in its current form,” which would’ve launched a space station orbiting the Moon. Instead, NASA plans to “shift focus to infrastructure that enables sustained surface operations,” and notes that it will “repurpose” some of the equipment that went into its Gateway project.According to NASA, the agency aims to build the base in three phases, with the first involving the development of communications and navigation systems, along with the delivery of robotic landers and vehicles to help astronauts traverse the Moon. The next will involve “recurring astronaut operations on the surface” of the Moon, followed by the establishment of a “long-duration human presence,” allowing for the delivery of heavier infrastructure to create a permanent lunar base.Isaacman didn’t provide a timeline for when the base will be complete, but said, “We will invest approximately $20 billion over the next seven years and build it through dozens of missions,” according to the NYT.An artist’s rendition of the third phase of NASA’s moon base. Image: NASATo build a lunar base hospitable for humans, NASA would have to contend with extreme high and low temperatures, dangerous space radiation, a low-gravity environment that could alter bone mass, muscle strength, and blood flow, as well as micrometeorites that constantly bombard the Moon.President Donald Trump picked Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur who has taken part in commercial space missions, to head up NASA in 2024 before pulling his nomination — and then choosing him again. During his second confirmation hearing, Isaacman emphasized the growing competition with China, which he said has the “will and means to challenge American exceptionalism” in space. Isaacman reiterated this urgency in a statement on NASA’s press release, saying “the clock is running in this great‑power competition, and success or failure will be measured in months, not years.” China similarly aims to bring humans to the lunar surface by 2030 and to build a base on the Moon. NASA has since pushed back its Artemis Moon landing mission to 2028.In addition to a new Moon base, NASA also outlined plans to launch the Space Reactor-1 Freedom, which it calls “the first nuclear powered interplanetary spacecraft,” to Mars by the end of 2028. When it reaches Mars, NASA said the spacecraft will deploy a payload with helicopters that are similar to Ingenuity, the small, autonomous helicopter that completed the first powered, controlled flight on Mars in 2021.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Emma RothCloseEmma RothNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Emma RothNASACloseNASAPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NASANewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsScienceCloseSciencePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ScienceSpaceCloseSpacePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All SpaceMost PopularMost PopularNvidia CEO Jensen Huang says ‘I think we’ve achieved AGI’The US government just banned consumer routers made outside the USDonut Lab’s solid-state battery could barely hold a charge after getting damagedWelp, I bought an iPhone againAyaneo says selling its Windows gaming handheld ‘is no longer sustainable’The Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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NASA has unveiled ambitious plans for a sustained lunar presence, prioritizing the construction of a $20 billion base on the Moon within the next seven years. Administrator Jared Isaacman, who was recently re-appointed to the role following a contentious nomination process, articulated this strategy during NASA’s Ignition event, alongside the goal of launching a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars by the end of 2028. A key component of this shift involves a significant alteration to NASA’s previously established Gateway project, postponing its implementation of a space station orbiting the Moon. Instead, the agency intends to concentrate efforts on establishing “infrastructure that enables sustained surface operations,” effectively repurposing equipment originally allocated to the Gateway.

The proposed lunar base will be developed in three distinct phases. Initially, the focus will be on establishing communications and navigation systems, coupled with the deployment of robotic landers and vehicles designed to facilitate astronaut movement across the lunar surface. The second phase will center on “recurring astronaut operations on the surface,” and the final stage will involve the construction of a “long-duration human presence,” supported by the delivery of heavier infrastructure to create a truly permanent lunar base. Isaacman emphasized the urgency stemming from a competitive landscape, particularly with China, asserting that success or failure will be judged within a timeframe of months, not years. This sentiment mirrors China’s own objective to establish a lunar base by 2030.

The challenges inherent in establishing this base are considerable, encompassing extreme environmental conditions such as drastic variations in temperature, intense space radiation, a low-gravity environment potentially impacting human physiology, and constant bombardment by micrometeorites. These factors necessitate robust protective measures and adaptable technologies. Isaacman stated that the agency anticipates investing approximately $20 billion in this endeavor, encompassing the missions needed to realize the construction plans. The ambitious timeline of seven years, coupled with dozens of planned missions, underscores the scale and complexity of the project.

Furthermore, NASA’s broader strategic vision extends beyond the lunar base to include the development of the "Space Reactor-1 Freedom,” a nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft slated for launch to Mars by the end of 2028. This spacecraft will deploy a payload including helicopters, similar in design to Ingenuity, the autonomous aerial vehicle that successfully conducted powered flight on Mars in 2021. Isaacman highlights the pressing need for international collaboration and technological advancement to maintain a leading position in space exploration.