Photo: timeskuwait
NASA Administrator Sean Duffy has announced the agency’s ambitious plans to establish a permanent base on the Moon by 2035.
Speaking at the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney, Duffy said the goal is not just a temporary outpost but a genuine “village” for long-term human presence on the lunar surface.
The first step will be returning humans to the Moon for the first time since Apollo 1972. In February next year, NASA is set to launch Artemis II, sending four astronauts into space to test the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. During the 10-day mission, the crew will fly more than 9,200 kilometers near the Moon, collecting data on human physiological reactions in space and testing onboard systems.
The next stage, Artemis III, scheduled for mid-2027, will see two astronauts land at the Moon’s south pole. They are expected to spend about seven days on the surface, studying geology and conditions vital for designing a permanent base.
According to NASA, the lunar base will run on nuclear power. The first Fission Surface Power System, weighing under 15 tons, will be capable of generating up to 100 kilowatts of electricity — enough to sustain the base during the Moon’s 14-day nights, when solar panels cannot function.
NASA is also experimenting with local construction materials. Astronauts aboard the ISS have tested cement mixing in microgravity, with the goal of one day 3D-printing structures on the Moon using lunar soil and water found at the south pole.
Duffy also reaffirmed U.S. ambitions to explore Mars, predicting that in the next decade NASA will take a major step toward landing humans on the Red Planet. With the Artemis program, he added, the U.S. has a chance to “win the second space race” and secure a long-term foothold on the Moon.
NASA’s plans mark the beginning of a new era in space exploration, combining the return to the Moon with the development of technologies essential for future interplanetary missions.
