News|Science and TechnologyNASA to spend $20bn on moon base, nuclear-powered Mars spacecraftThe agency will increase robotic missions to the moon and launch a spacecraft called Space Reactor 1 Freedom.
NASA has announced significant changes to its lunar and Martian exploration plans, reallocating $20 billion over the next seven years to establish a base on the Moon's surface and advancing a nuclear-powered spacecraft mission to Mars.
NASA has announced significant changes to its lunar and Martian exploration plans, reallocating $20 billion over the next seven years to establish a base on the Moon's surface and advancing a nuclear-powered spacecraft mission to Mars.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman detailed these strategic updates on Tuesday, during a meeting in Washington, DC, with stakeholders involved in the Artemis program. The agency will enhance robotic missions to the Moon and lay the foundation for nuclear power on the lunar surface.
The revised strategy includes increasing robotic missions to prepare the site, test technologies, and build infrastructure to support a long-term human presence on the Moon. Astronauts are expected to return later this decade.
NASA also unveiled plans to launch a spacecraft, Space Reactor 1 Freedom, by the end of 2028. This mission aims to demonstrate nuclear electric propulsion in deep-space travel to Mars, including delivering helicopters to the planet. These helicopters are akin to the Ingenuity test helicopter that flew with NASA’s Perseverance rover.
The agency will enhance robotic missions to the Moon and lay the foundation for nuclear power on the lunar surface.
The Lunar Gateway station was initially planned as a lunar orbit space station developed with contractors such as Northrop Grumman and international partners. It was intended as a base for astronauts before traveling to the Moon's surface. NASA now plans to repurpose some Gateway components for surface operations instead.
This shift in strategy affects the roles of international partners, including Japan, Canada, and the European Space Agency, who had agreed to provide components for the orbital station. Isaacman emphasized that the focus is now on infrastructure supporting sustained operations on the lunar surface.
The changes to NASA's Artemis program, originally initiated in 2017, are reshaping contracts worth billions of dollars. This comes amid increasing competition, as China aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.
Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.