NASA has unveiled plans to build a permanent lunar base near the Moon's south pole to support humans living and working on the surface.
Establishing a long-term outpost marks a shift from short-term exploration to a sustained presence. This infrastructure is intended to enable continuous scientific research and foster new commercial activity within the lunar environment.
The agency said the south pole is a strategically and scientifically valuable region. According to NASA, the base could eventually stretch across hundreds of square miles [1] of this territory.
NASA's current roadmap targets 2028 [2] for the return of humans to the Moon. This return serves as the foundational step toward the permanent outpost. Some projections suggest that the infrastructure could evolve to the point where lunar holidays are possible by 2032 [3].
Financial estimates for the project vary across reports. One estimate places the projected cost of the moon base at $150 billion [4], while another report cites a figure of £15 billion [5].
The proposed facility is designed to provide the necessary life-support systems for crews to reside on the Moon indefinitely. By creating a stable hub, NASA aims to use the lunar surface as a testing ground for technologies required for deeper space exploration.
“The base could eventually stretch across "hundreds of square miles" of the lunar south pole region.”
The transition from temporary missions to a permanent base signals a new era of lunar geopolitics and economics. By focusing on the south pole, NASA is targeting a region likely to contain water ice, which is critical for sustainable life support, and fuel production. This move positions the U.S. to establish primary infrastructure on the Moon, potentially setting the standard for international lunar governance and commercial resource extraction.
