NASA announced a massive shift in its space strategy on Tuesday, aiming to build a permanent Moon base and launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars by 2028. The space agency is cutting through red tape to meet a new goal of returning humans to the lunar surface before the end of the current presidential term.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency is now in a race where success is measured in months rather than years. To hit these targets, NASA will start landing missions on the Moon every single year starting in 2027. By the following year, the agency plans to have a landing every six months to keep the new base running.
The plan to build the Moon base will happen in three stages. First, NASA will send a steady stream of robotic rovers and tools to the surface to test how to generate power and move around. The second stage involves building early shelters where astronauts can stay for short periods. Finally, the agency will use heavy-lift landing systems to deliver large permanent habitats, turning the Moon into a long-term home for American explorers.
NASA is also making a major move into nuclear power. The agency confirmed it will launch Space Reactor-1 Freedom, the first nuclear-powered ship designed for deep space, toward Mars in 2028. This technology allows spacecraft to carry much heavier loads and travel to parts of the solar system where solar panels do not work. Once it reaches Mars, the ship will drop off a fleet of “Skyfall” helicopters to explore the Red Planet from the air.
Closer to home, NASA is changing how it handles the International Space Station. Since the station cannot last forever, the agency plans to attach a government-owned core module to it soon. Private companies will then be invited to attach their own sections to this module. Eventually, these private pieces will detach to become independent, commercial space stations, ensuring there is never a gap in America’s presence in orbit.
To make this happen, NASA is hiring thousands of new staff and moving experts directly into the factories where rockets and modules are built. The goal is to solve technical problems on the spot and speed up production.
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