Summary
Highlights
NASA's Deputy Press Secretary George Alderman initiated the conference, welcoming agency leadership, including Administrator Jared Isaacman, Dr. Lori Glaze (Head of Artemis), and Carlos Garcia Guillen (Moon Base Program Manager). The focus was on establishing a sustained presence on the lunar surface, building a moon base, and inspiring future generations in space exploration.
Administrator Jared Isaacman detailed NASA's rapid progress since December 18, when President Trump signed a national space policy for lunar return. Key events included the 'Ignition' event on March 23, where Artemis accord signatories and industry partners gathered, and the successful Artemis II test mission on April 1. NASA is actively preparing for Artemis III, targeting a launch in mid-2027, and fostering collaborations with commercial and international partners to build a moon base.
Isaacman highlighted the moon's hostile environment with extreme temperature variations, radiation, and meteorite impacts. He stressed the iterative approach for the Moon Base initiative, focusing on collecting data from scientific payloads, landers, and rovers to de-risk crewed missions. The ultimate goals include pioneering new technologies, advancing scientific understanding for Earth, inspiring future generations, and mastering skills for future Mars missions.
Isaacman announced three specific Moon Base missions: Moonbase One, the first privately funded lunar lander by Blue Origin, launching in late 2026 to deliver payloads to the Shackleton Connecting Ridge. Moon Base Two, will feature Astrobotic's Griffin lander carrying over 500kg of cargo, including the Astrolabe FLEX rover, to support future lunar terrain vehicles. Moon Base Three, will deliver the Lunar Vertex payload to study lunar swirls, with contributions from ESA and the Korean Space Agency, launching before the end of 2026.
Dr. Lori Glaze underscored Artemis's foundational role, explaining how the Artemis II mission validated critical technologies, life support systems, and human-science-mission operations in deep space. Artemis II provided invaluable data on astronaut performance and teamwork, which directly informs the development of a sustainable lunar foothold. Artemis III, with its integrated tests and commercial lander partnerships, is quickly advancing, laying the groundwork for more ambitious and complex lunar activities.
Carlos Garcia Guillen outlined the Moon Base vision, aiming for hundreds of square miles of lunar presence. Phase One (now through 2029) focuses on ensuring high-reliability lunar landings, testing survival science, and delivering about four metric tons of cargo. Subsequent phases will scale up cargo delivery to 60 and eventually 150 metric tons, aiming for permanent habitation. This phase involves deploying various assets like landers, satellites, rovers, and drones to explore different areas for science and infrastructure development.
NASA announced major awards for LTV delivery and LTV development. Blue Origin was selected to deliver LTVs using its Mark One Endurance lander, scheduled for operations before Artemis IV. Astrolabe and Lunar Outpost received awards for developing the LTVs themselves, which will be both crewed and autonomous, capable of traversing long distances and supporting scientific exploration. Firefly was selected as the carrier spacecraft for the Moonfall lunar drones, designed to explore challenging lunar areas, prospect for water, map terrain, and provide communication capabilities.
Carlos Garcia Guillen elaborated on upcoming initiatives, including further Clips 1.0 announcements in June for additional lander missions and technology demonstrations. Clips 2.0, focusing on next-generation lunar cargo landers, is accepting proposals until June 30, with eligible companies announced in late summer/early fall 2026. The architectural plans prioritize mid-sized cargo delivery, initial power infrastructure (solar and nuclear), components for surviving lunar nights, cargo mobility, and pathfinder habitation missions—all critical for long-term lunar presence and future Mars endeavors.
In response to questions about China's interest in lava tubes, Jared Isaacman affirmed NASA’s interest in diverse lunar outposts while prioritizing the first moon base. Dr. Lori Glaze discussed ongoing, individualized international collaborations for various payloads and capabilities, signaling a different approach than the ISS model. Questions on lunar base expansion and astronaut health were addressed, with NASA emphasizing an iterative approach to habitability and extensive research into human physiology in the lunar environment.
Jared Isaacman discussed funding sources for the moon base, including the Working Family Tax Cut Act and the President's budget request, emphasizing strong bipartisan support. Regarding LTV deployment, Carlos Garcia Guillen stated plans to have LTVs available before Artemis IV, with initial models placed approximately two kilometers from landing sites to avoid ejecta. The LTVs will operate both crewed and autonomously, with future iterations incorporating lessons learned. NASA also highlighted current and future efforts to establish a robust lunar communications network, including collaboration with international partners.