Moon Base

• Astrobotic has unveiled the Griffin-1 lunar lander, designed to support NASA's Moon Base mission. • The lander is engineered to transport one of the heaviest payloads ever delivered to the lunar surface, including an Astrolab rover. • This mission is critical for advancing lunar exploration and establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon.

• NASA has unveiled plans for a sprawling, city-like lunar outpost that could eventually stretch over hundreds of square miles. • The agency's administrator described the current era as a "Golden Age" of lunar exploration, signaling a shift toward permanent habitation. • This initiative matters as it transitions moon missions from short-term visits to the establishment of a long-term human presence on the lunar surface.

• NASA announced a $20 billion moonbase initiative on March 25, 2026, as part of expanded lunar exploration plans. • Simultaneously, unprecedented wildfires ravaged Colorado, Great Plains, and Nebraska, with one fire scorching over 600,000 acres (240,000 hectares) in days. • The blazes highlight escalating climate-driven fire risks in the US West and Midwest.

New Nasa chief, Jared Isaacman, has outlined several changes to flagship moon programme ArtemisNasa is cancelling plans to deploy a space station in lunar orbit and will instead use its components to construct a $20bn base on the moon’s surface over the next seven years, its new chief, Jared Isaacman, said on Tuesday.Isaacman, who was sworn in at the agency in December, made the announcement at the opening of a day-long event at Nasa’s Washington headquarters at which he outlinedchanges he is making to the agency’s flagship moon programme Artemis. Continue reading...