As part of its “Ignition” event on Tuesday, NASA announced a series of transformative, agency-wide initiatives designed to fulfill President Donald J. Trump’s National Space Policy and advance American leadership in space. These actions reflect the urgency of the moment, but also the tremendous opportunity for world-changing science and discovery.
“NASA is committed to achieving, once again, the near-impossible: returning to the Moon before the end of President Trump’s term, building a lunar base, establishing a permanent presence, and taking all other necessary actions to ensure American leadership in space. Therefore, it is essential that we emerge from an event like Ignition fully aligned around the national imperative that constitutes our collective mission. The clock is ticking in this great power race, and success or failure will be measured in months, not years,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “If we focus NASA’s extraordinary resources on the goals of the National Space Policy, remove unnecessary obstacles that impede progress, and unleash the potential of our workforce and the industrial might of our nation and our partners, then returning to the Moon and building a base will seem insignificant compared to what we will be able to accomplish in the coming years.”
NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya said, “Today we are aligning NASA around this mission. On the Moon, we are adopting a focused, phased architecture that builds capabilities incrementally, landing after landing, in conjunction with our industry and international partners. In low Earth orbit (LEO), we are identifying where the market is and where it isn’t, recognizing the immense value of the International Space Station, and developing a transition that fosters a competitive commercial ecosystem, rather than imposing a one-off outcome that the market cannot sustain. In our science missions, we are creating opportunities on the lunar surface for researchers and students across the country, and with Space Reactor 1 Freedom (SR-1 Freedom), we are finally putting nuclear propulsion on a trajectory that takes it out of the laboratory and into deep space. And all of this is made possible by investing in our people, bringing critical skills back into the agency, and putting our teams where the machines are being built.” and creating real pathways for the next generation of NASA leaders. Our workforce is NASA’s crown jewel, and from its leaders, it needs clear mission goals, the tools to execute them, and the freedom to work without interference. That’s what Ignition is all about.”
The return to the Moon
These announcements build on recent updates to the Artemis program, which include standardizing the Space Launch System rocket configuration, adding an extra mission in 2027, and achieving at least one lunar surface landing every year thereafter. Within this updated architecture, the Artemis III mission—scheduled for 2027—will focus on testing integrated systems and operational capabilities in Earth orbit, as a prelude to the Artemis IV lunar landing.
Beyond Artemis V, NASA announced on March 24 that it will begin incorporating more commercially acquired, reusable hardware to conduct frequent and affordable crewed missions to the lunar surface, with the initial goal of landing every six months, and the potential to increase this frequency as capabilities mature.
To achieve a lasting human presence on the Moon, NASA also announced a phased approach to building a lunar base. As part of this strategy, the agency intends to pause the Gateway project in its current form and refocus on infrastructure that will allow for continuous operations on the surface. Despite challenges presented by some existing hardware components, the agency will reuse usable equipment and leverage the commitments of its international partners to support these goals.
In the coming days, NASA will publish Requests for Information and draft Requests for Proposals (RFIs and RFPs, respectively) to ensure continued progress toward achieving national goals.
Construction of the lunar base
NASA’s plan to establish a sustained lunar presence will unfold in three pre-conceived phases.
- Phase One: Build, Test, Learn.
NASA will move from executing missions with different, infrequent, one-off objectives to a modular and repeatable approach. Through the Lunar Payload Commercial Services (CLPS) program and the lunar terrain vehicle program, the agency will increase the pace of lunar activity by sending rovers, instruments, and technology demonstrators that advance mobility, power generation (including radioisotope heating units and radioisotope thermoelectric generators), communications, navigation, surface operations, and a wide range of scientific investigations. - Phase Two: Establishing Initial Infrastructure.
Building on lessons learned from previous missions, NASA is moving toward establishing semi-habitable infrastructure and permanent logistics. This phase supports recurring astronaut operations on the surface and incorporates significant international contributions, including JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) pressurized rover and potentially other scientific payloads, rovers, and infrastructure and transportation capabilities from partner organizations. - Phase Three: Enabling a Long-Term Human Presence.
As payload-capable human landing systems become operational, NASA will send the heavier infrastructure needed to establish a continuous human presence on the Moon, thus marking the transition from periodic expeditions to a permanent lunar base. This will include the Italian Space Agency’s (ASI) Multipurpose Habitats, the Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA) Lunar Utility Vehicle, and opportunities to make additional contributions in the areas of habitability, surface mobility, and logistics.
To ensure a US presence in low Earth orbit
While developing a sustainable lunar architecture, NASA is also reaffirming its commitment to low Earth orbit. For more than two decades, the International Space Station has served as a world-class orbital laboratory, enabling more than 4,000 scientific investigations, supporting more than 5,000 researchers, and hosting visitors from 26 countries. The design, development, and construction of the space station required 37 space shuttle flights, 160 spacewalks, two decades of work, and more than $100 billion. This orbital laboratory cannot operate indefinitely. The transition to commercial stations must be thoughtful, deliberate, and structured to support the long-term success of this industry.
READ MORE: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/la-nasa-presenta-iniciativas-para-cumplir-con-la-politica-espacial-nacional-de-estados-unidos/
