NASA adds moon base and nuclear-powered Mars spacecraft to road map

NASA’s new administrator outlined a three‑phase moon base plan that would involve about $20 billion over the next seven years plus an additional $10 billion later, and said the agency aims to launch a nuclear‑propelled spacecraft to Mars by the end of 2028.

Jared Isaacman, who began serving as NASA administrator in December, used a keynote address to present an updated roadmap for human missions beyond Earth. He described a three‑phase approach to build a moon base and said NASA plans to launch a nuclear‑propelled spacecraft to Mars by the end of 2028. Isaacman noted changes to the Artemis program schedule and referenced international competition in space. Agency officials also said work on the Gateway lunar station has been suspended and some of its resources will be redirected to the moon base. Key details: - Isaacman described the moon base plan as three phases: template missions and robotic landers, semi‑habitable infrastructure for regular visits, and construction of permanent infrastructure. - NASA officials said they will invest approximately $20 billion over the next seven years to cover the first two phases, and an additional $10 billion would be needed for the third phase. - The program executive for the moon base estimated about 150,000 kilograms of payload would be placed on the lunar surface, including habitats, surface vehicles, power and communications systems, and potentially nuclear power plants. - Artemis program changes include making Artemis III an orbital mission focused on docking practice with Orion and lunar landers, a possible acceleration to two attempted moon landings in 2028 (Artemis IV and V) if Artemis III goes well, and a projected increase in mission cadence to about twice a year after Artemis V. - NASA issued a request for proposals from commercial companies to replace the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion capsule for future missions, and aims to hire at least two companies for that task. - Isaacman also announced a plan to launch a nuclear‑propelled spacecraft to Mars by the end of 2028 and made a passing reference to China as a geopolitical rival in space. Summary: The announcement shifts some funding and expertise away from the previously planned Gateway station toward a phased lunar surface outpost and sets financial estimates for those phases. NASA also described schedule changes to Artemis missions, commercial competition for launch and crew systems, and a target to field a nuclear‑propelled Mars spacecraft by 2028; specific timelines beyond those items are undetermined at this time.