As Lunar Rivalry with China Heats Up, NASA Unveils $20 Billion Moon Base Project

Lunar Exploration Race Heats Up Amid U.S.-China Space Rivalry
Blue Origin Joins Mission
Pushing for Crewed Lunar Landing and Forward Base for Mars

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has unveiled plans to establish a base on the moon by 2032 that will enable long-term habitation. As competition with China over lunar exploration intensifies, NASA aims to accelerate crewed lunar landings and the construction of a lunar base by partnering with private space companies.

The crew of ASA's Artemis 2 captured the image of the Earth setting in a crescent shape at the edge of the Moon just before experiencing the scheduled signal loss while passing behind the Moon on April 6 (Eastern Time, U.S.). Provided by NASA

According to reports from The Washington Post and other sources on May 26 (local time), NASA held a press conference in Washington, DC that day to announce its plan to invest approximately $20 billion (about 30 trillion won) in building a lunar base by 2032.

Under the plan, NASA will first send robotic landers and drones to the moon ahead of astronauts, in order to explore and map the moon’s challenging terrain. Afterward, astronauts will be transported to the lunar surface, and transport vehicles capable of carrying scientific equipment will also be deployed.

The next phase involves installing infrastructure such as solar power facilities and establishing basic operational systems on the moon. The ultimate goal is to complete semi-permanent habitation modules where astronauts can stay for extended periods and conduct research. NASA envisions using the lunar base in the long term as a forward post for future Mars exploration. In particular, the agency has set a goal of landing American astronauts on the lunar surface before the end of U.S. President Donald Trump’s term in 2028.

Observers note that this plan aligns with the U.S. space strategy to achieve crewed lunar landings and base construction ahead of China. China has recently accelerated its pursuit of a 2030 crewed lunar landing, following a series of successful crewed spacecraft docking missions.

The first mission will deploy the cargo lander "Endurance" developed by Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos. This lander is expected to deliver scientific equipment to the lunar south pole as early as this fall. NASA also stated that it plans to send robotic landers and drones ahead of crewed missions to explore and map the lunar surface.

Blue Origin is competing with Elon Musk’s SpaceX for the next-generation crewed lunar lander contract. NASA plans to conduct a test mission next year and then select the final contractor for the 2028 crewed lunar landing mission.

However, there are doubts about whether the United States can proceed with its lunar base plans according to the proposed schedule. Although the Artemis 2 crewed lunar exploration spacecraft, carrying four astronauts, successfully entered lunar orbit last April, the development of spacecraft capable of landing humans on the lunar surface has faced repeated delays. As a result, some predict that China could be the first to send humans to the moon.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.