NASA Plans Robotic Missions to Moon for Base by 2032

NASA announced in May plans to send robotic landers, hopping drones and vehicles to the Moon. OilPrice.com reported that the agency will develop the machines with Intuitive Machines, Astrobotic, Blue Origin and SpaceX. The United States aims to land astronauts on the surface before President Donald Trump leaves office in 2029.

In March the agency unveiled a $20 billion program to build a permanent base at the Moon’s south pole by 2032. The outpost would run on solar panels and nuclear fission reactors. NASA sent Artemis II around the Moon in April and now intends to use robotic missions to survey terrain before any crewed landing.

The agency expects to complete 25 launches and deliver roughly 4 metric tonnes of cargo by 2029. Delivery vehicles will carry astronauts, communications gear and scientific instruments. NASA plans to rely on Blue Origin’s Endurance lander and Astrobotic’s Gryphon-1 for precise touchdowns.

Longer-term goals include nuclear and solar power facilities plus semi-permanent housing for humans by 2032. OilPrice.com reported that NASA views the south pole as promising because frozen water could supply drinking water or oxygen. China is targeting a crewed lunar landing by 2030 and a permanent base with Russia by 2035.

In May, China launched Shenzhou-23 to its Tiangong station, where one astronaut will remain for a year.