NASA outlines phased plan to build a sustained lunar base at the south pole by 2028

NASA is moving ahead with a phased plan to build a sustained base on the Moon, starting with robotic deliveries and technology demonstrations and then adding the infrastructure needed for astronauts to live and work there for longer periods. According to NASA’s public statements and recent remarks by Administrator Jared Isaacman, the agency wants infrastructure in place for astronauts expected to land in 2028, with the broader project unfolding over several years.

The first phase focuses on what NASA calls building, testing and learning. As NASA outlined in a recent release, the agency will rely heavily on commercial partners and existing programs such as Commercial Lunar Payload Services and the Lunar Terrain Vehicle program to send landers, rovers, drones, instruments and communications systems to the lunar surface. Isaacman said the goal is to make access to the Moon “high reliability” before moving to more ambitious construction work.

NASA says the Moon base is planned for the lunar south pole, a region seen as especially valuable because of its scientific potential and possible access to water ice. The agency’s strategy is designed to turn repeated cargo and crew missions into a long-term presence, rather than a series of short visits. That approach also fits NASA’s wider goal of using the Moon as a proving ground for future human missions to Mars.

The next phase is where the project begins to look more like a true base. NASA says it plans to add power, surface communications, mobility and other systems that would let humans stay on the Moon for weeks or even months. In NASA’s framing, this is the step that turns early exploration into real surface infrastructure, with more regular logistics and recurring astronaut operations.

According to reporting from Astronomy Magazine, NASA’s plan includes semiannual crewed missions starting in 2028 and a major ramp-up in launches and surface deliveries after that. The outlet reported that Phase 2 would involve dozens of launches and landings to deliver roughly 60,000 kilograms of cargo, including systems needed for human operations. NASA has also said that later phases would bring in habitat modules, airlocks and life-support systems.

The project matters because it signals a shift in how NASA expects to operate on the Moon. Rather than a single landmark landing, the agency is talking about an enduring presence supported by industry and international partners. That makes the Moon base not just a science project, but also a test of how NASA and its contractors can sustain crews, move cargo and build reliable infrastructure far from Earth.

What happens next depends on how quickly the early missions succeed. NASA has already signaled that the first launches will be used to map out future construction, test systems and identify the best sites for longer-term operations. If those missions go as planned, the agency expects later phases to bring the Moon base closer to permanent human habitation.