NASA plans to build a settlement for astronauts on the Moon by 2035, acting head of the agency Sean Duffy said at the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney.
“We are going to create sustainable living conditions for people on the Moon,” Duffy said. “Not just an outpost, but an entire settlement.”
According to him, nuclear energy will be used to power the settlement. The reactor, weighing less than 15 tons, will be capable of producing 100 kW of electricity. This is enough to provide the lunar base with electricity for 14 lunar nights, when solar panels will be ineffective.
Duffy said that the US “will return to the moon, and this time, when we plant our flag, we will stay there.” The settlement will be able to permanently host astronauts and will be built from materials found on the surface of the Moon.
As early as February next year, NASA will launch the Artemis II mission with four astronauts on board in the first manned expedition to the Moon in more than 50 years. The astronauts will not land on the surface of Earth’s natural satellite. During the Artemis II mission, the astronauts will test the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft, which will eventually take humans to the moon. The crew will fly around the moon for 10 days before returning to Earth.
But a serious test for NASA awaits in mid-2027 with the launch of the Artemis III mission, which plans to land two astronauts near the south pole of the Moon. In September, Duffy said that as part of the Artemis III mission to explore the Moon, which NASA plans to carry out in mid-2027, astronauts will stay on the planet for eight to twelve days. The data they collect on the geology and conditions around the South Pole will be used to prepare for the ultimate goal of building a permanent base on the Moon.
