NASA Targets Moon Base by 2028 with US$20 Billion Investment

NASA is committing US$20 billion to accelerate a permanent human presence on the Moon's surface by 2028. As part of this restructuring, the agency will suspend its "Gateway" project—the planned lunar orbital space station—to prioritize the development of a surface base and increase the frequency of crewed landings to every six months.

The revised strategy represents the most ambitious lunar deployment since the Apollo program. Under the new directive, NASA will shift away from orbital infrastructure toward systems that enable “sustained operations on the lunar surface," according to official statements.

Strategic Pivot to Surface Operations

The suspension of the Gateway project, previously a cornerstone of the Artemis program, follows criticism over its cost and its potential to divert resources from surface missions. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman confirmed the shift during a press conference in Washington, stating the agency will "pause Gateway in its current form."

"It should not surprise anyone that we are pausing Gateway in its current form to focus on the infrastructure that supports sustained operations on the surface of the Moon.Despite the challenges with some existing equipment, the agency will reuse applicable hardware and leverage the commitments of our international partners to support these goals," Isaacman said. 

The Three-Phase Moon Base Plan

The "Moon Base" program, led by Carlos García, focuses on establishing a self-sustaining presence on the lunar surface. The strategy is structured in phases, with the third phase aiming to deploy a base composed of three distinct habitats capable of extracting and utilizing lunar resources.

"The new strategy will focus on enabling a permanent human presence on the surface of the Moon," García Galán said. The plan outlines the deployment of initial permanent infrastructure before 2030, following the near-term objective of returning astronauts to the lunar surface in 2028.

Timeline and Private Sector Integration

The US$20 billion initiative will rely heavily on a public-private model, incorporating contributions from SpaceX and Blue Origin, alongside international partners such as the European Space Agency (ESA).

The current mission roadmap includes:

• Artemis II: Scheduled for April, this mission will send four astronauts on a lunar flyby trajectory. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket has recently returned to the launch pad in Florida following delays.

• Artemis V: The completion of this mission’s objectives will trigger the shift to a biannual landing cadence.

• 2028 Goal: The target date for the first crewed landing in over half a century remains fixed, despite previous schedule adjustments.

NASA is also reorganizing its flight schedule to include an additional test mission ahead of the planned landing.