NASA has decided to scrap its plan for a space station in lunar orbit and will repurpose its components to build a $20 billion US base on the moon’s surface within the next seven years, according to the agency’s new chief, Jared Isaacman. Isaacman, who assumed office in December, revealed this shift during a day-long event at NASA’s Washington headquarters, where he detailed various changes he is implementing to the agency’s primary moon program, Artemis.
During the announcement, Isaacman stated, “It should come as no surprise that we are halting the Gateway project in its current form and concentrating on establishing infrastructure to facilitate sustained operations on the lunar surface.” The Lunar Gateway station, constructed in collaboration with contractors Northrop Grumman and Intuitive Machines subsidiary Lanteris Space Systems, was originally intended to be a space station in lunar orbit, making the transition to a lunar surface base a complex task.
Isaacman acknowledged the challenges but expressed confidence in repurposing existing equipment and leveraging international partner commitments to align with surface operations and other program objectives. The Lunar Gateway was initially designed to function as a research platform and a transfer station for astronauts boarding moon landers before descending to the lunar surface.
The alterations introduced by Isaacman to the flagship U.S. moon program have significant implications for the Artemis initiative, affecting contracts worth billions of dollars. This has prompted companies to swiftly adapt to the increased urgency, particularly as China advances toward its own 2030 moon landing mission.
