NASA to Usher in Era of Permanent Lunar Presence by 2032... Full-Scale Cooperation with South Korea on Moon Base (Comprehensive)

Construction of a Semi-Permanent Lunar Base Following Artemis III in 2027 and Manned Landing in 2028
"South Korea a Key Contributor" ... Collaboration Proposed in Communications, Robotics, and Lunar Surface Vehicles

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has unveiled its roadmap for the establishment of a Moon Base where astronauts will stay for extended periods by 2032, and designated South Korea as a key partner in the construction of the lunar base. Unlike the Apollo era, when landing on the Moon was a one-time achievement, NASA now plans to establish a permanent human presence on the lunar surface, building a forward base for future Mars exploration.

Carlos Garcia-Galan, the program manager overseeing NASA's Moon base program, disclosed these plans during a press briefing held ahead of a special lecture on the 29th at the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies in Seoul. Other core members of the NASA lunar base development team, such as Nujoud Merancy, Chief Architect of NASA's Moon Base Program, Eric Maier, who leads architecture and international cooperation for the program, and Nathan Krome, were also present at the briefing.

Carlos Garcia-Galan, program manager overseeing NASA's Moon base program, is answering questions from reporters at a press briefing held on the 29th at the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies in Seoul. Photo by Kim Jonghwa

Garcia-Galan stated, "The goal of the Apollo mission fifty years ago was simply to reach the Moon, but this time it is different. Reaching the Moon is merely the first step; our goal is to carry out long-term missions and establish the infrastructure for humans to stay there on a continuous basis."

Toward that end, NASA plans to survey resources such as water and ice at the lunar south pole by 2029, build habitation, power, communication, and mobility infrastructure between 2029 and 2032, and from 2032 operate a semi-permanent lunar base where astronauts will reside for extended durations.

The Artemis program is the first gateway to building the lunar base. In 2027, NASA intends to verify the rendezvous and docking technology between the crewed Orion spacecraft and a private lunar lander through the Artemis III mission. The Artemis IV mission in 2028 will land astronauts at the lunar south pole, laying the groundwork for base construction.

Garcia-Galan emphasized, "The lunar base will not merely serve as an outpost of exploration, but will be a testbed for Mars exploration and humanity's first forward base in space. Our aim is not a simple 'moonshot'—we are developing a system to go to the Moon repeatedly and to stay there permanently."

"South Korea a Key Contributor to Lunar Base"

Cooperation with South Korea was a major topic of discussion at this briefing.

Garcia-Galan said, "The lunar base is not a project that the United States can construct alone; it must be undertaken together with international partners. South Korea is one of the key nations we hope to work alongside."

Chief Architect Merancy explained, "Building the lunar base requires an ecosystem involving not only governments, but also industry and academia. International cooperation will span areas such as transportation systems, habitation infrastructure, communications, and surface vehicles."

Eric Maier, who oversees international cooperation, stated, "NASA is presently discussing technological collaboration with the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) for the lunar base. We are reviewing possibilities for South Korea's participation in various fields, including lunar landers, communications systems, surface vehicles, scientific exploration, sample collection equipment, and sensors."

He also commented, "Through the Danuri (KPLO) mission, South Korea has accumulated deep space exploration experience and has a strong foundation in communications satellites, robotics, surface vehicles, scientific research, and sensors. These technologies could play a vital role in the upcoming lunar base construction process."

Carlos Garcia-Galan, program manager overseeing NASA's lunar base program, along with NASA officials, held a press briefing on the 29th at the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies in Seoul. Photo by Kim Joungho

Garcia-Galan added, "The fact that we are meeting with the Korean government and KASA today to discuss lunar base construction itself demonstrates that South Korea has reached the level of a major contributor. We plan to further expand and specify the scope of bilateral cooperation going forward."

The Lunar Base: "A Small City" ... Forward Base for Mars

The lunar base NASA envisions is not just a research facility, but will resemble a "small city" spanning several square kilometers.

Facilities will be distributed across the site, including transportation zones for receiving landers and cargo, astronaut living quarters, energy and communication infrastructure, rover operation facilities, and scientific research centers. In the long term, industrial facilities producing oxygen and spacecraft propellant using lunar resources are also expected to be established.

Chief Architect Merancy explained, "The lunar base will take the form of a small city equipped with transportation infrastructure, residential zones, power and communication systems, and research facilities. In the future, industrial facilities for producing oxygen and propellant could also be added." She added, "Commercialization and revenue generation will not be led by NASA itself, but by private companies developing new business models."

This press briefing and special lecture were held in advance of the "KASA-NASA Artemis Workshop" on the 30th. During the workshop, the two parties are scheduled to discuss concrete collaboration measures in areas such as lunar landers, communications, surface vehicles, and scientific exploration, where Korean participation is anticipated.

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