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Moon Base: NASA encyclopedia entry

Page: https://www.nasa.gov/reference/moonbase-about/, "Updated Sep 24, 2026". Fetched 2026-10-01T06:23:43Z. File: sources/moon-base/nasa-gov-reference-moonbase-about.md.

Summary. NASA's reference entry for the Moon Base. It covers the overview, location, development (the three phases with dates), collaboration, leadership and a 2026 history. It is the best single source for who runs the program and what has been announced since March 2026.

Key points

  • Leadership ("Leadership"):
  • Phases ("Development"): Phase One (Now–2029), Phase Two (2029–2032), Phase Three (2032 and Beyond). The wording matches the phases page. The Ignition release names the phases differently (open question 76).
  • History, May and June: the two releases behind these lines are read (May 2026, June 2026).
  • Collaboration ("Collaboration"): "built on commercial participation at an unprecedented scale". It promises "multiple entry points for industry and international collaborators".
  • History, 2026 ("History"):
    • 24 March: Moon Base announced at the "Ignition" event.
    • After Ignition: "a series of Requests for Information (RFIs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs)".
    • May: the first three Moon Base missions announced. Astrolab and Lunar Outpost selected for lunar terrain vehicles; Blue Origin task orders to deliver them; Firefly selected to carry MoonFall.
    • 30 June: three companies (Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines) selected to land four new missions in late 2028.
    • 24 July: CAPSTONE 02 announced.
    • August: third Moon Base Update, on the first four commercial landers.
  • "Did You Know?" facts:
    • PSR temperatures "as low as -334°F (-203°C)"
    • radioisotope heating demonstrations to protect assets "during cold lunar nights and operations in permanently shadowed regions"
    • fission power technologies
    • the JAXA pressurized rover
    • regolith use for habitats, crops and oxygen

Moon Base hub · Phases · Missions and assets · Environment