President Donald Trump said US astronauts will soon return to the moon to establish "a permanent American presence" before heading to Mars. NASA's plans suggest that presence would take shape gradually. First, it would happen through robotic missions and test equipment; then, through a network of power, communications and transport systems.
Eventually, there would be an outpost where astronauts could live and work for extended periods. Trump made the remark at a science and technology summit in Washington, D.C., on October 8, while discussing the Artemis program. But it was not a new mission announcement.
A December 2025 executive order already set a goal of returning Americans to the moon by 2028 and establishing the initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030. The order also states an ambition of "enabling near-term utilization of space nuclear power by deploying nuclear reactors on the moon and in orbit, including a lunar surface reactor" ready for the same year. NASA's public roadmap describes a longer buildout.
Its first phase, running from now until 2029, focuses on robotic missions, landing technology and surveying the lunar South Pole for possible infrastructure sites. The space agency's second phase, from 2029 to 2032, would begin deploying systems for power, cargo deliveries, logistics and communications. NASA places assembly of a permanent outpost in its third phase, beginning in 2032.
NASA says the first pieces would likely be equipment rather than buildings. Robotic landers and rovers would test how to reach the lunar surface, map terrain and study resources such as water ice. NASA's planned VIPER rover, for example, delivered by the private American space technology company Blue Origin, is intended to search for ice and other materials near the South Pole.
Other missions would test landing systems, dust sensors and communications equipment. This groundwork matters because the moon's South Pole is highly difficult terrain. Some craters remain permanently shadowed, where ice may be preserved, while nearby high ground may offer better conditions for solar power.
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