NASA has decided to accelerate its strategy in the international space race and establish a continuous presence of crews on the lunar surface. The plan, presented during the "Ignition" event, is based on a radical transformation of the operational model: the U.S. agency not only plans to return astronauts to the satellite, but also proposes the establishment of a permanent lunar base that would serve as a scientific and logistical hub for future missions to distant destinations, as detailed by the space agency.
In the newly approved framework, the goal is to achieve at least one lunar landing per year, with the aim of doubling that frequency to reach missions every six months.
This acceleration represents a fundamental shift from NASA's traditional approach, which had prioritized occasional expeditions. During his speech, the agency's administrator, Jared Isaacman, emphasized: "Time is of the essence in this competition between major powers," and explicitly stated that success will be measured in months, not years.
"From a scientific perspective, a space station is like having a laboratory where you can move things around, but you're confined to that environment. In contrast, a lunar base is like having a building full of laboratories here on Earth. You can expand it as much as you want and plan scientific projects much more effectively, because you're not limited by the small volume of a space station," explained Diego to Infobae…
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NASA Unveils Plan for Permanent Lunar Base and Continuous Crewed Presence
Photo: X/@webcamsdemexico. NASA has decided to accelerate its strategy in the international space race and solidify a continuous crewed presence on the lunar surface. The plan, presented during the "Ignition" event, is based on a radical transformation of the operational model: the U.S. agency not only plans to return astronauts to the satellite, but also proposes the installation of a permanent lunar base that will serve as a scientific and logistical hub for future missions to distant destinations, according to the space agency.
In the new approved scheme, the goal is to achieve at least one lunar landing per year, with the aim of doubling that frequency to reach missions every six months. This acceleration represents a fundamental shift from NASA's traditional approach, which had prioritized occasional expeditions. During his speech, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized: "Time is of the essence in this competition between major powers," and explicitly stated that success will be measured in months, not years.
"From a scientific point of view, in a space station, you have a laboratory where you can move around. You can't leave that environment. Instead, in a lunar base, it's like having a building of laboratories here on Earth. You can expand it as much as you want and plan scientific projects much better, because you are within a limited volume in a space station," explained Diego Carpintero, a Ph.D. in astronomy, associate professor at the Department of Galaxy Dynamics at the Faculty of Astronomy at the University of La Plata, and a researcher at CONICET. The goal is to achieve at least one crewed lunar landing per year and, in a second phase, increase the frequency to two missions every six months.
Florida, USA, March 24, 2026. REUTERS/Joe Skipper. The lunar base project, which will be supported by the Artemis program, includes a three-stage sequence to ensure a robust infrastructure, as detailed by the space agency. In the first phase, defined as "build, test, and learn," the agency will deploy robotic missions aimed at developing critical capabilities, such as mobility, power generation, communications, and navigation systems adapted to the extreme conditions of the lunar environment. The project will be developed in three phases: the first with robotic missions, the second with semi-habitable infrastructure, and the third with modules and vehicles provided by international partners.
Lunar Base NASA (NASA). The second phase will consist of deploying semi-habitable infrastructure, which will increase the frequency and stability of crewed missions. At this point, the integration of international partners will be crucial. Japan will provide pressurized exploration vehicles, and other countries will supply technology and operational support. In the third and final phase, Italy and Canada, among other strategic allies, will provide habitable modules and specialized vehicles, consolidating the continuous presence of astronauts on the satellite. The permanent lunar base is envisioned as a scientific platform and a starting point for interplanetary exploration, with the ability to adapt to missions to Mars and other destinations in the solar system. NASA has temporarily suspended the Gateway project, which is intended for lunar orbit, to concentrate resources directly on the surface, thus prioritizing infrastructure and international cooperation.
"In the timeline for lunar and Martian exploration, the new project is clearly much more ambitious. Launching a probe or a rocket from the lunar surface is likely to have much better infrastructure than launching from the Space Station. The Space Station would have the advantage of being further from the Moon, so it would have to overcome less gravity, but the Moon is small, so that is not a major disadvantage for launching from the lunar surface," explains Carpintero. ARCHIVE PHOTO: NASA.
NASA is also driving a new generation of scientific missions that expand the frontiers of knowledge. These include the operation of the James Webb Telescope, the future Nancy Grace Telescope, and the Dragonfly mission to the moon Titan. The agency has also announced the development of nuclear technology for deep space exploration, with the projection of a spacecraft capable of traveling to Mars before 2028, which would mark a milestone in the expansion of crewed space flights. The progress in building the lunar base includes an active policy of strengthening human capital. NASA has stated that it will reinforce its teams and recover key technical capabilities, opening up opportunities for young professionals in science and technology.