NASA Unveils Three Moon Base Missions Aimed At Launches By 2026
NASA announced three Moon Base missions aimed at launching by the end of 2026, part of a push to establish a permanent lunar base.[1]
Moon Base I will carry Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander to the Shackleton Connecting Ridge no earlier than fall 2026.[1] Moon Base II will fly Astrobotic's Griffin lander carrying over 500 kilograms of cargo, including Astrolab's FLEX rover.[1] Moon Base III will carry NASA's Lunar Vertex mission along with payloads from the European Space Agency and the Korean Space Agency.[1]
Program manager Carlos Garcia-Galan said Phase 1 includes 25 launches, 21 landings and roughly four metric tons of cargo destined for the Moon.[1] NASA says the three missions are near-term steps to accelerate infrastructure and science at the lunar south pole.[1] They are part of the agency's bid to establish a permanent base by the end of 2026.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On May 26, 2026, NASA announced three Moon Base missions targeted to launch by the end of 2026.
- Moon Base I will send Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander to the Shackleton Connecting Ridge no earlier than fall 2026.
- Moon Base II will use Astrobotic's Griffin lander to deliver over 500 kilograms of cargo, including Astrolab's FLEX rover.
- Moon Base III will fly NASA's Lunar Vertex mission plus European Space Agency and Korean Space Agency payloads.
- Program manager Carlos Garcia-Galan said Phase 1 includes 25 launches, 21 landings and roughly four metric tons of cargo to the Moon.
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