US plans permanent lunar base as scientists fear being outpaced by China

NASA has unveiled ambitious plans to send robotic landers, hopping drones, and specialized vehicles to the Moon. The move aims to realise the first permanent human base there. NASA has partnered with Blue Origin, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and other private firms to manufacture advanced machinery. However, NASA’s efforts are shadowed by intense rivalry with China, which is also racing to land humans on the Moon by 2030. Recently, China successfully launched the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft to transport astronauts to its Tiangong space station. In response, NASA previously announced a $20 billion programme to build a permanent nuclear and solar-powered base at the Moon’s south pole by 2032. ’ The United States will never again relinquish the Moon,’ NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told BBC News. NASA’s ’ Ignition Moon Base’ programme is divided into three phases: before human landing, NASA will deploy robotic landers and hopping drones to map the Moon’s harsh terrain. Transport vehicles will also be sent to enable astronaut mobility and carry communication and scientific equipment. Blue Origin is developing the Endurance lander for precise automated landing, while Astrobotic is preparing the Griffin-1 lander for the Nobile crater. The initial phase aims for 25 launches carrying 4 metric tons of cargo. NASA will build solar and nuclear fusion reactors on the Moon to power the base. Astronauts are expected to reside in ’ semi-permanent’ habitats with rover vehicles for long-range exploration. The Moon’s south pole was chosen for the base due to its water ice reserves, which can be processed into drinking water or split into oxygen for breathing.