On the Moon's south pole, where the Sun crawls low and shadows run long, a nation is sketching how a human home might one day take root. NASA's new Moon Base User's Guide lays out seventy-three landings across three phases, a roadmap that is frank about the tools and knowledge still missing. It is a reminder that every settlement begins as a promise made against hard conditions, and that the distance between a plan and a lasting presence is measured in unfinished inventions. The ambition reaches beyond the Moon itself, toward Mars and toward a rival nation's own lunar goals.
NASA's 'Moon Base User's Guide' Maps 73 Landings Toward a Permanent Lunar Presence
73 landings, and many critical systems still under development
Mark
Why does a number like 73 landings matter?
Mimi
It turns a vague dream into a logistics problem. Phase 1 alone has 25 launches and 21 landings through 2029, and Phase 2 adds 27 launches and 24 landings.
Mark
And Phase 3?
Luke
The reporting gives no totals for it. It says only that it needs more launches and landings plus cargo-return systems, so the full 73 isn't broken down for us here.
Mark
Why the south pole?
Mimi
It's unlike the Apollo sites. The Sun sits low, shadows are long, and there are cold spots and long darkness, so power becomes the central puzzle.
Mark
So what are the fixes?
Mimi
Better solar panels or nuclear sources. The guide says new systems are needed.
Luke
Needed, not yet built. The same guide says precision landing and hazard detection aren't sufficiently developed.
Mark
What about the people?
Mimi
Dust, low gravity and radiation all pose risks, so life support, food and exercise must be planned ahead.
Luke
And the reporting doesn't say how those risks would be solved, only that they're open questions.
Mark
Is China a factor?
Mimi
China aims for astronauts on the Moon and a base by 2030, which adds pressure, alongside $100 billion in Artemis costs and slipped deadlines.
Il Polso
- NASA's guide maps 73 landings across three phases, but its own authors admit critical technologies are still unfinished.
- The south pole's permanent low sun and deep cold shadows threaten the solar power a base would depend on.
- Precision landing, hazard avoidance, and life support remain underdeveloped, leaving engineers racing to invent what the plan assumes.
- Artemis costs have climbed to $100 billion while deadlines keep slipping, and China's 2030 lunar base target adds competitive heat.
- Everything now hinges on whether Phase 1, running through 2029, can hold its schedule while the missing systems are built.
On the Moon's south pole, where the Sun crawls low and shadows run long, a nation is sketching how a human home might one day take root. NASA's new Moon Base User's Guide lays out seventy-three landings across three phases, a roadmap that is frank about the tools and knowledge still missing. It is a reminder that every settlement begins as a promise made against hard conditions, and that the distance between a plan and a lasting presence is measured in unfinished inventions. The ambition reaches beyond the Moon itself, toward Mars and toward a rival nation's own lunar goals.
NASA has set out what a permanent home on the Moon would demand: 73 landings over three phases, detailed in a document called the Moon Base User's Guide. The agency is open about how much still has to be invented before the plan can stand on its own. The larger vision aims at a $20 billion lunar base and crewed missions by 2028, and it connects to a longer goal of nuclear-powered spacecraft for Mars. The guide follows the successful crewed flyby of the Moon under Artemis II, a genuine milestone, yet many critical systems are still in development.
Phase 1, running through 2029, calls for 25 launches and 21 landings to establish dependable access and test core systems. Phase 2, from 2029 to 2032, adds 27 launches and 24 landings and opens the door to occasional crew missions. Phase 3 aims at a sustained human presence and cargo-return systems, though the source does not give its totals.
The chosen site near the south pole presents harsh conditions unlike anywhere Apollo visited. The Sun stays low, casting long shadows that limit solar power, and the terrain holds cold spots and long darkness. Reliable power may require improved solar panels or nuclear sources. Precision landing, hazard detection, and protection from lunar dust, low gravity, and radiation all remain works in progress, as do life support, food, and physical training for long stays.
The pressure is mounting. China aims to land astronauts and build a base by 2030, Artemis costs have reached $100 billion, and the original crewed landing dates have already slipped. The question now is whether NASA can keep Phase 1 on schedule while it builds the systems its own guide admits are not yet ready.
NASA has put numbers on what a permanent home on the Moon would take: 73 landings, spread across three phases. The agency lays this out in a document called the Moon Base User's Guide, which maps the missions needed to build a lasting outpost and is candid about how much still has to be invented.
The larger aim is to support a $20 billion moon base and enable crewed missions by 2028. The effort is also tied to a longer-range goal: building a nuclear-powered spacecraft for Mars missions. The guide arrives after a real milestone, the successful crewed flyby of the Moon under Artemis II. Even so, the agency acknowledges that many critical systems are still under development.
Phase 1 runs through 2029 and includes 25 launches and 21 landings. Its purpose is to establish dependable access to the Moon and to test the various systems. Phase 2 runs from 2029 to 2032, with 27 launches and 24 landings, and is when NASA would begin occasional crew missions. Phase 3 shifts toward sustaining a permanent human presence. It calls for more launches and landings, along with the development of cargo-return systems. The source does not give the Phase 3 totals.
The proposed base would sit near the Moon's south pole, a very different place from the regions Apollo visited. Lighting and temperature are the main difficulties. The Sun hangs permanently low on the horizon there, throwing long shadows that may limit solar power. The terrain also has cold spots and long stretches of darkness. NASA therefore needs new ways to generate electricity, such as improved solar panels or nuclear power sources.
The guide also lists technology gaps. Precision landing, hazard detection and damage avoidance have not been developed enough. Questions remain about how people would live on the Moon for long periods, since lunar dust, low gravity and cosmic radiation all create risks. Life support, food and physical training will have to be worked out in advance.
Pressure is building from several directions. Other countries have ambitious programs: China aims to put astronauts on the Moon and build a base by 2030. Meanwhile, Artemis costs have already reached $100 billion, and deadlines keep slipping, with the original target dates for a crewed landing already missed.
What to watch is whether NASA can hold its schedule through Phase 1 while it develops landing, power and life-support systems the guide itself says are not yet ready.
Citazioni salienti
Many critical systems for a permanent base are still under development, including precision landing, hazard detection and life support.— NASA's Moon Base User's Guide (paraphrased)
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