NASA intends to build a “village” on the surface of the Moon by 2035, according to the administrator of the American Space Agency, Sean Duffy.
Between 1969 and 1972, a total of 12 American astronauts explored the monthly area/ photo: Archive
He spoke about this objective at the International Astronautics Congress (IAC) in Sydney, where he participated with representatives of space agencies in Europe, Canada and Japan.
“We will have a sustained human life on the Moon. Not only an outpost, but a village.”said Duffy.
Artemis, the road to the Moon
The first step will be the launch of the Artemis II mission, scheduled for February next year. It will send four astronauts on a 10-day trip beyond the moon, the first of this kind after more than half a century.
The mission will not involve an aselenization, but will test the systems of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule, preparing the land for Artemis III. It would take place in 2027 and carry two astronauts near the southern pole of the month, where they will remain for a week – much more than the 22 hours spent on the ground by Apollo crews.
What will the base look like
According to NASA, the future outpost will be sustainable and could be powered by a nuclear reactor. In August, the Agency launched a request for offers for the development of such a system – called Fision Surface Power System. The reactor should weigh below 15 tons and produce 100 kWe, enough to keep the base of 14 days functional functionally, when solar panels cannot be used.
NASA also tests construction methods adapted to the extraterrestrial environment. Astronauts from the International Space Station have already experienced cement mixtures under microgravity conditions. An option could be the combination of the monthly soil with water to create building materials, which will then be modeled with 3D printers sent to the Moon.
Beyond the Moon: Mars objective
At the conference, Duffy also spoke about the long -term ambitions of the United States. In the next decade, NASA aims to make “significant progress” in the direction of sending people to Mars.
“We will be about to put the first step on Mars,” he said.
But the immediate objective remains the return to the Moon, where the American agency has not sent astronauts since 1972. “We return to the Moon, and this time, when we plant the flag, we will remain,” Duffy said.
Historical context: Apollo program
The Apollo program was launched in 1961 and culminated in 1969, when Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on the Moon. Between 1969 and 1972, a total of 12 American astronauts explored the monthly area. The last aselenization took place in December 1972, with Apollo 17.
