NASA Unveils First Moon Base Missions

NASA has unveiled the first missions under its new Moon Base initiative, aimed at supporting a long-term human presence on the Moon and reducing risks ahead of crewed Artemis surface missions planned for 2028.

The US space agency said it would announce more than a dozen Moon Base missions this year. The first three are due to target the lunar south pole region, with launches planned from late 2026.

Moon Base I is scheduled to launch no earlier than fall 2026. Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander will deliver NASA science equipment to the surface, including a stereo camera system to study how lander thrusters interact with lunar soil and a laser reflector array to help orbiting spacecraft determine their position more precisely.

Moon Base II is planned for launch later this year. Astrobotic’s Griffin lander will carry more than 1,100 pounds, or about 500 kg, of cargo to the Moon, including Astrolab’s FLIP rover. NASA wants the mission to test mobility systems for future lunar terrain vehicles used by astronauts.

Moon Base III is also targeted for this year. The mission will carry payloads from NASA, the European Space Agency and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. Its main investigation, Lunar Vertex, will study lunar swirls, bright patches on the Moon’s surface whose origins remain only partly understood.

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