The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has unveiled an ambitious plan to build a city on the lunar surface in next six year. The plan was announced just weeks after SpaceX governing board tied Elon Musk’s compensation to establishing a colony on Mars.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman revealed that the process to build a $20 billion outpost on the Moon would start by the end of this year, adding that Stage One will run until 2029.
The U.S. space agency plans to “learn, test and build” during the first phase.
Isaacman said: “America is returning to the moon. And this time, to stay.”
NASA plans to establish a permanent lunar colony by 2032 as the agency aims to increase the number of commercial lunar missions in the next three years to discover potential landing areas and test new technology.
Describing the hostile lunar conditions for permanent human presence, the 43-year-old serving as 15th NASA head said the city on the moon would be as beautiful as it is hostile.
The project will start in autumn when Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin launches its Blue Moon Mark 1 lander, named Endurance.
Despite meticulous planning, the recent explosion of the Blue Origin rocket has raised concerns that it could potentially delay the upcoming lunar missions.
NASA aims to have a significant number of MoonFall helicopter drones and uncrewed rovers on the lunar surface by 2029 to continuously look for water and other resources.
