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The US wants to build a base on the Moon at a cost of $20 billion

The US wants to build a base on the Moon at a cost of $20 billion

25 March 2026, 17:02

The US wants to build a base on the Moon at a cost of $20 billion — US base on the Moon

The US space agency NASA has announced that it no longer plans to deploy a space station in lunar orbit. Instead, it intends to build a base on the Moon itself.

This was announced by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

“To get Americans back to the Moon, NASA is moving to an iterative, performance-oriented approach. The goal is not just to get to the Moon, but to stay there,” he said.

During the presentation, Isaacman stated that NASA had committed to sending astronauts “back to the Moon” by the end of Donald Trump’s presidency, according to Space. The White House posted on social media: “America will never give up on the Moon again.”

Furthermore, Isaacman noted that the US has a “real geopolitical rival that is challenging American leadership in deep space”, referring to China.

To ensure a “sustained human presence on the Moon”, the US plans to build a base there. It intends to invest $20 billion in this over the next seven years.

Isaacman also announced a series of changes to the Artemis lunar programme, including the aim to send more robotic landers to the Moon and lay the groundwork for the use of nuclear power on the lunar surface.

In addition to plans to build a lunar base, NASA has also announced that it will develop a brand-new spacecraft, the Space Reactor-1 Freedom, to reach Mars by 2028. It will be designed to deploy ‘helicopters’ on the planet, similar to Ingenuity.

“The goal is clear: to build the foundation for a robust lunar base and take the next step towards Mars,” said Isaacman.

As a reminder, on 1 April 2026, NASA plans to launch the Artemis II mission — four astronauts are set to land on the Moon’s surface for the first time in 50 years.

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