NASA outlines $20 billion moon base plan

NASA announced plans Tuesday to spend 20 billion dollars over the next seven years to build a moon base near the lunar south pole. The base would feature habitats, pressurized rovers and nuclear power systems. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency envisions launching two moon landing missions per year to establish semi-permanent astronaut occupation on the lunar surface. The missions would support exploration, research and technology development needed for eventual flights to Mars. The revised Artemis program calls for a transition from the government-owned Space Launch System rocket to competitive commercial rockets developed by companies including SpaceX and Blue Origin. It will pause the Gateway space station program in lunar orbit and repurpose components for surface operations. Senior managers also described work to develop nuclear power systems for use on the moon and Mars. The first project is the Skyfall mission to Mars in 2028, which will use a fission reactor to power a nuclear-electric propulsion system delivering three small helicopters. Isaacman said the plans can be carried out within NASA's existing budget through hardware repurposing and reductions in bureaucratic waste. The changes follow recent adjustments to near-term missions, including a low-Earth orbit flight next year to test procedures.