NASA announced that the United States is constructing a permanent base on the moon.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement that the agency is “committed to achieving the near‑impossible once again, to return to the Moon before the end of President Trump’s term, build a Moon base, establish an enduring presence, and do the other things needed to ensure American leadership in space.” He added that if the U.S. focuses NASA’s resources on the “objectives of the National Space Policy, clear away needless obstacles that impede progress, and unleash the workforce and industrial might of our nation and partners, then returning to the Moon and building a base will seem pale in comparison to what we will be capable of accomplishing in the years ahead.”
NASA’s plan involves three phases: sending rovers to test and learn different activities, establish “semi-habitable infrastructure,” and develop “cargo‑capable human landing systems (HLS)” that will allow for heavier infrastructure needed for a human presence on the moon.
Secretary of Transportation and then-Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said in September that the United States intends to “stay” on the moon.
“So listen, this is exciting. This is the first time we’re going back to the moon, you know, since the 70s,” Duffy told Fox Business. “We’re not going to land this time, we’re going to go out around the moon and come back. And by the way, our four person crew is amazing.” He added, “And this time, when we go back to the moon, we’re going to stay.”
Moon developments align with President Trump’s December 2025 executive order ensuring American space superiority. “Superiority in space is a measure of national vision and willpower, and the technologies Americans develop to achieve it contribute substantially to the Nation’s strength, security, and prosperity,” the order says. “The United States must therefore pursue a space policy that will extend the reach of human discovery, secure the Nation’s vital economic and security interests, unleash commercial development, and lay the foundation for a new space age.”
