How NASA plans to build a moon base — and when it could happen

• The project is estimated to cost $20 billion and will be constructed in three phases between 2026 and 2032.
• Located at the moon's south pole, the base will allow exploration of a region thought to contain water ice.
• This lunar outpost is part of the Artemis program, which aims to use the moon as a stepping stone for future crewed missions to Mars.

Humanity could be years away from seeing astronauts not just landing on the moon, but putting down roots by living and working on the lunar surface.

NASA has a vision of enabling unprecedented long-duration crewed missions farther south on the moon than even the Apollo astronauts ventured more than half-a-century ago. And its plans for a multibillion-dollar lunar outpost the space agency has dubbed "Moon Base" could make that dream a reality.

Beginning as soon as the end of 2026, uncrewed lunar landers could be on their way to the moon in droves to lay the foundation for the construction of humanity's first outpost on another world.

The endeavor comes as the U.S. races with China to land astronauts on the moon, where no human has tread since NASA's Apollo program came to an end in 1972.

NASA's Artemis program, established in 2017 during President Donald Trump's first term, kicked into high gear in 2026 following an uncrewed test flight in 2022. After the Artemis II mission sent four astronauts around the moon without landing in April, a new crew of Artemis III astronauts is expected to test commercial lunar landers in Earth orbit in 2027 ahead of the first of many human moon landings as early as 2028.

Amid all the renewed hype around the moon, here's everything to know about NASA's plans for a moon base.

What is NASA's moon base?

NASA's Moon Base, the plans for which were first unveiled at the end of March, will be the first-ever lunar outpost where astronauts can live and work longterm while exploring our natural satellite's south pole.

How much will the moon base cost?

NASA officials estimate that constructing of the lunar outpost will total a cost of $20 billion over the next seven years, which will be spent across dozens of missions, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman previously said.

Already, the U.S. space agency has announced hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts with commercial aerospace companies to send uncrewed lunar landers to the moon between 2026 and 2028.

How long will it take to construct the moon base?

The Moon Base will be built across three phases between 2026 and at least 2032, according to NASA.

The first phase begins with missions sending robotic lunar landers and other vehicles that test new technologies and explore the challenging lunar environment. After that, NASA will begin the process of establishing the systems and infrastructure needed for a longterm human presence on the moon.

The third phase, of course, is to then have a completed operational lunar outpost where cargo and other supplies can routinely be sent and astronauts can live and work during rotations on the moon, according to NASA.

Where will the moon base be located?

While an exact site has not been selected, the Moon Base will be located somewhere in the largely-unexplored lunar south pole region.

Why the lunar south pole?

Defined by extreme cold, long periods of darkness, rugged landscapes and permanently shadowed craters, the lunar south pole is regarded as one of the most extreme environments humans will have ever explored, NASA says. But exploring it is vital, NASA says, in order to not just unlock the secrets of the moon, but to discover how human interplanetary travel could be possible.

For instance, the region is thought to abundant with water ice – a valuable resource that could be extracted and used for drinking, breathing and as a source of hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel.

What will comprise the moon base?

The outpost may resemble something of a rudimentary city on the moon.

Most prominently, the base will be a patchwork of habitats where astronauts reside. But they'll also need a power source – likely a mix of self-supported power generation, solar arrays and, ultimately, nuclear fission – as well as the ability to communicate with Earth and navigate around the moon to scout and find resources.

That will entail the delivery of vehicles like rovers and lunar terrain vehicles, and the construction of systems – orbital satellite constellations and ground-based networks – to transmit data and communications between the moon and Earth, NASA says. That includes things.

How will the moon be a 'gateway' to Mars?

Not only is Earth's closest celestial neighbor a pristine time capsule ripe for study – preserved almost unaltered throughout the course of billions of years – but the moon is viewed as a stepping stone for human exploration deeper into the cosmos.

The ultimate objective of NASA's Artemis program is to send astronauts, technology and vehicles to the moon to inform how the agency might carry out the first crewed expeditions to Mars.

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected]