NASA to Build Moon Base With $20 Billion Investment

3 hours ago 3

March 25, 2026 | 01:23 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced plans to invest US$20 billion (around Rp338 trillion) over the next seven years to build a base on the moon’s surface, while pausing its lunar-orbiting space station project.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman unveiled the plan during the “Ignition” event on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. He said the agency is shifting its focus to building infrastructure to support sustained operations on the lunar surface, with the goal of landing humans on the moon by the end of 2028.

“It should not really surprise anyone that we are pausing gateway in its current form and focusing on infrastructure that supports sustained operations on the lunar surface,” Isaacman said, as quoted by The Hill on March 24, 2026.

“Despite some of the very real hardware and scheduled challenges, we can repurpose equipment and international partner commitments to support surface and other program objectives,” he added.

The proposed Lunar Gateway project, first introduced in 2018, had previously been a key part of the Artemis program. The station was designed to support research in lunar orbit and serve as a transit hub for astronauts traveling to and from the moon.

In the near term, NASA is also preparing to launch the Artemis II mission using the Space Launch System rocket, with four astronauts set to orbit the moon on a 10-day mission.

“As we move forward, we intend to launch Artemis III in 2027 to test the integrated operations of Orion and one or both lunar landers in Earth orbit,” Isaacman said.

“What we learn from that mission will ideally give us the confidence to begin lunar landing attempts, starting with Artemis IV in 2028,” he added.

The latest plan comes amid intensifying competition in space exploration, following China’s stated goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030, a target that could challenge the United States’ position as a global leader in the field.

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