Nasa unveils Moon base plans amid intensifying US-China lunar race

The US space agency NASA has unveiled an ambitious roadmap involving robotic landers, hopping drones and lunar vehicles as part of its long-term plan to establish a permanent base on the Moon, amid growing competition with China in the new global space race.

According to the BBC, companies including Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, along with Intuitive Machines and Astrobotic, have been selected to develop the robotic systems that would pave the way for a sustained human presence on the lunar surface.

The plans form part of Washington’s broader objective of returning American astronauts to the Moon before US President Donald Trump leaves office in 2029. The effort is also being shaped by mounting strategic pressure from China, which is pursuing its own programme to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.

On Monday, China launched the Shenzhou-23 mission carrying astronauts to the Tiangong space station, underlining Beijing’s rapidly advancing space ambitions.

Earlier this year, NASA announced a nearly $20 billion programme to establish a semi-permanent lunar base near the Moon’s south pole by 2032, powered through a combination of nuclear and solar energy systems. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman declared on Tuesday that the new announcements showed the United States would “never give up the Moon again”.

NASA believes a permanent lunar outpost could support scientific research, resoure extraction and eventually serve as a staging point for future missions to Mars. The Moon’s south pole is considered particularly valuable because of deposits of frozen water that could potentially be converted into drinking water, oxygen and rocket fuel.

Under NASA’s “Ignition Moon Base” programme, the first phase would focus on robotic exploration before humans arrive. The agency plans to deploy autonomous landers, hopping drones and rovers capable of navigating the Moon’s difficult terrain, transporting equipment and supporting communications. NASA has also released artist impressions showing lunar habitats, power systems and astronaut rovers spread across the Moon’s rocky surface.

Blue Origin’s proposed lunar lander, named Endurance, is expected to perform autonomous navigation and precision landings, while Astrobotic’s Griffin-1 lander is slated to touch down near Nobile Crater close to the lunar south pole.

According to the BBC, NASA expects the robotic phase to continue until 2029, involving around 25 launches and the delivery of nearly four metric tonnes of cargo to the Moon.

The second phase would involve constructing power infrastructure, including small fission reactors and solar energy facilities. By 2032, NASA hopes astronauts will be able to live in “semi-permanent” housing on the lunar surface and use rovers for long-distance exploration.

However, several experts have questioned whether NASA can meet its timeline, particularly because the programme depends heavily on SpaceX developing a reliable human landing system. SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System has suffered repeated delays and technical setbacks during testing.