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NASA provides update on national space policy
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman revealed the new directive for the space agency in the opening remarks at NASA’s Ignition news conference event on March 24, 2026.
NASA laid out specific plans this week for building a permanent base on the moon.
Here are the details that have been given:
NASA moon base
Artist’s concept of Phase 3 of NASA’s Moon Base. (Image: NASA)
Big picture view:
In a press conference led by new administrator Jared Isaacman, the space agency announced Tuesday a phased approach to build a base on the moon in hopes of establishing an "enduring human presence" there.
What we know:
NASA said it would accomplish this through a three-phased approach.
First, NASA said it will begin sending more rovers, instruments and other technologies to the moon. With information gathered from that, NASA will learn how to introduce "semi-habitable infrastructure." This will lead to the ability for long-duration human presence, NASA said, with a permanent lunar base.
What we don't know:
NASA didn’t give a timeline for when this infrastructure may begin to be built on the moon, or give details about how many astronauts the infrastructure could support.
Dig deeper:
Reuters is reporting the base will cost around $20 billion and use components from a now-canceled NASA project that would have deployed a space station into lunar orbit.
NASA Mars mission
FILE - The exterior of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on August 16, 2022. (Photo by Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images)
What's next:
Meanwhile, NASA has separate plans to launch the first nuclear powered spacecraft to Mars before the end of 2028 - the Space Reactor-1 Freedom. Once there, special helicopters will be deployed to explore the Red Planet.
What they're saying:
NASA says this mission will help "unlock the capabilities required for sustained exploration beyond the Moon and eventual journeys to Mars."
NASA also said that its moon base, once completed, could underpin future exploration to Mars.
RELATED: Artemis II: What is the mission?
Artemis mission
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Artemis II rocket rolls out, potential April 1 launch
We are learning more as NASA continues work on their Artemis II mission, with the hopes of sending astronauts on a trip around the moon. Current plans would see a crewed spaceflight from Artemis II, sending four astronauts on a 10-day flight around the moon and back. The soonest possible launch date is currently set at April 1. LiveNOW’s Mike Pache is speaking with Stephanie Buffamonte at FOX 35 Orlando, who is on the scene as the rocket gets rolled out later this evening.
Meanwhile:
NASA astronauts will soon be headed to the moon and back under the Artemis II mission, marking the first crewed mission towards the moon in more than 50 years.
Timeline:
NASA has identified seven potential launch availability dates in April for the Artemis II mission. The first is April 1. Get more info here.
RELATED: NASA Artemis II: Rocket arrives at Kennedy Space Center launch pad
Dig deeper:
The Artemis mission is a series of at least 5 space flights whose goal is to land astronauts on the moon.
The Artemis II mission will send a crewed flight to the moon’s orbit and back to Earth, part of a 10-day mission.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from NASA and its Ignition press conference on March 24, 2026. Background information was taken from Reuters, NASA and previous FOX Television Station reportings. This story was reported from Detroit.