What Happened?
Ever wondered whether people will live on the Moon, and when that could happen? NASA is changing its plan to return to the Moon: instead of building a station that orbits the Moon, it will build a base on the surface. NASA's Artemis program aims to send people back to the Moon for the first time since 1972.
NASA is dropping its plan for a station orbiting the Moon, called Gateway, and will build a base on the Moon's surface instead. The plan has three stages: robotic landers arrive by 2029, lasting equipment and shelters are set up on the surface from 2029 to 2032, and people live on the Moon continuously from 2032 on.
The program depends on the Orion capsule, which carries four to six astronauts, a giant rocket called the Space Launch System (SLS), and private companies' landers. NASA will use one version of the SLS rocket rather than upgraded versions.
Why Does it Matter to Me?
Congress has already committed $6.7 billion through 2032 for Orion, Gateway, and the SLS, and NASA has asked for another $8.5 billion for 2027 alone. The pivot away from the Gateway also affects international partners. Canada, Japan, and other space agencies had planned to supply equipment for Gateway, and NASA now plans to reuse that equipment and renegotiate their roles. NASA aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2028, but delays by private companies SpaceX and Blue Origin put that goal at risk.
Both Sides, Now
The base plan focuses on getting a presence on the surface sooner, with up to 25 robotic missions by 2029 carried out by commercial landers.
Opponents point to a documented record of delays. The NASA Office of Inspector General reported in March 2026 that SpaceX's Artemis III lander was at least two years behind schedule and that NASA could not rescue astronauts stranded on the lunar surface after a catastrophic event. A separate Government Accountability Office report from November 2023 found that two key lander deadlines had already slipped to 2025.
Congress is divided. The House has considered a bill requiring NASA to keep building major Artemis parts, and the House and Senate take different positions in their NASA bills.
What Happens Next?
NASA has asked for $8.5 billion for the 2027 budget year. The House and Senate are taking different approaches to NASA's plan for the Moon and then Mars in their separate bills. NASA's Inspector General reported on March 10, 2026, that SpaceX's work on the Starship spacecraft for Artemis III was at least two years behind schedule, with more delays expected.
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