WASHINGTON (TNND) — NASA is revamping its space exploration mission, announcing on Tuesday plans for a Moon base and a nuclear-powered helicopter to Mars.
On Tuesday, the agency revealed a roadmap for installing a base for astronauts to live and work on the moon. The announcement was made during the NASA “Ignition” event on Tuesday.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized that the moon base will take time and an investment.
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 24: Jared Isaacman participates in the Government Program to Space Economy: Building the Commercial Future of LEO and the Moon panel during The Hill & Valley Forum 2026 at Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on March 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for The Hill & Valley Forum)
“The moon base will not appear overnight, Isaacman said at the event. “We will invest approximately $20 billion over the next seven years and build it through dozens of missions.”
Moon base construction will roll out in three deliberate phases. This includes building and testing the base and eventually introducing human presence.
NASA also announced a 2028 Mars mission called Space Reactor 1-freedom, or SR-1 Freedom. It is the first nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft.
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The goal of the mission is to put helicopters on the planet. This follows a previous mission that achieved controlled flight on Mars.