NASA has shifted away from its initial plan to place a space station in lunar orbit and unveiled a plan to build a lunar surface base, investing about 30 trillion won.
According to Reuters on the 24th (local time), NASA said it would halt the lunar-orbit space station Gateway project and invest $20 billion (about 2.98849 trillion won) over the next seven years to establish a lunar base.
The plan was unveiled by NASA Director General Gerard Isacowitz at the Ignition event held at headquarters in Washington, D.C. The event was attended by Artemis program partners and space officials from various countries. Gateway had originally been slated to serve as a midway outpost and research platform for astronauts in lunar orbit.
However, NASA has now decided to prioritize building infrastructure on the actual lunar surface that can support sustained missions, instead of an orbital outpost. Director General Isacowitz said, "Rather than maintaining Gateway in its current form, we will shift to a system that enables sustained surface activities on the moon." He added that some existing Gateway equipment will be repurposed to fit the new plan.
NASA's lunar base concept will proceed in three broad phases. First, through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) and lunar rover programs, it will expand surface activities and send critical equipment for communications, power, and navigation ahead of crewed operations.
Next, it will establish infrastructure that allows short stays and a regular logistics supply chain to support astronauts' repeated surface missions. In the final phase, it will build facilities that enable long-term habitation, aiming to create a permanent foothold where humanity can remain on the moon continuously.
Director General Isacowitz said, "We will invest $20 billion over the next seven years and establish the lunar base through dozens of missions."
Meanwhile, NASA plans to launch Artemis II, a crewed lunar-orbit mission, on the 1st of next month (local time). If the launch succeeds, it will be the first crewed lunar-orbit flight in about 50 years since Apollo 17 in 1972.