NASA has announced a major three-phase strategy to establish a permanent human settlement near the Moon’s South Pole under its Artemis programme.

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• NASA revealed a three-phase Moon base development plan with an estimated investment of $20 billion over the next 7 years.
• The ambitious lunar mission is part of the Artemis programme aimed at ensuring long-term human presence on the Moon and preparing for future Mars missions.
• The lunar South Pole has been selected as the primary target area due to permanently shadowed craters and possible water ice deposits.
• Phase One will continue until 2029 and will focus on robotic missions, cargo delivery and testing of lunar surface technologies.
• NASA plans nearly 25 missions and 21 Moon landings during the first phase along with expansion of Commercial Lunar Payload Services.
• Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander will support the Moon Base-I mission expected no earlier than autumn 2026.
• Phase Two from 2029 to 2032 will develop semi-habitable infrastructure including power systems, communication networks and mobility platforms.
• Phase Three extending up to 2036 aims to establish a permanent Moon base with continuous human presence and astronaut landings every 6 months.