NASA Plans For Humans To Live On The Moon ‘This Decade,’ Official Tells BBC

Topline

A senior NASA official told the BBC the space organization has not only set a goal of getting humans back to the moon in the coming years but has plans to have people live there, marking a historic target for civilization and expressing the bold hopes NASA has for its Artemis program.

Humans could be living on the moon before 2030, a NASA official told the BBC.

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Key Facts

Howard Hu, who oversees the Orion spacecraft used in the Artemis program, told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg NASA hopes to have humans living on the moon during “this decade,” though it’s not clear how long they might stay on the lunar surface or in what capacity.

The unmanned Artemis 1 mission launched this week after months of delays, in a test flight ahead of future missions that will bring humans to the moon.

Artemis 2 is expected to take humans into the moon’s orbit in 2024, while humans are set to step foot on the moon once again during the Artemis 3 mission in 2025, though NASA has cautioned that timetable could be pushed back.

NASA has billed the moon missions as a starting point toward more ambitious targets, like getting humans to Mars.

Humans have not been on the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

Crucial Quote

“It’s really going to be very important for us to learn a little bit beyond our Earth’s orbit and then do a big step when we go to Mars,” Hu told the BBC.

Key Background

The $93 billion Artemis program has been in the works for years with a goal of establishing a human presence on the moon ahead of Mars voyages. Hu told the BBC a top goal will be exploring the moon’s south pole to determine if water is present there, which could be used to fuel trips to Mars.

What To Watch For

The Orion capsule on the Artemis 1 mission is set to return to Earth on December 11, when it will crash into the ocean.

Tangent

Renewed interest in space missions has sparked what’s become commonly known as the “billionaire space race,” as space travel has increasingly become a private—rather than government—venture. Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson became the first billionaire to visit space on July 11 of last year, just days ahead of Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos reaching space on July 20, 2021.