Lunar Colonization
A permanent return to the Moon: crewed base, resource extraction, space hub
Overview
Establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon. Infrastructure for resource extraction, scientific research, and a staging point for Mars and orbit.
Impact: Foundation for space expansion, lunar economy ($1T+ potential)
Involved actors
Roadmap
Artemis II: first crewed lunar flyby in over 50 years
Four astronauts, April 1-10, 2026: first crewed flight of the Orion capsule
Blue Moon MK1 "Endurance": uncrewed cargo landing
Blue Origin commercial demonstration on the Shackleton Connecting Ridge: autonomous guidance and cryogenic propulsion, carrying NASA payloads
Artemis III: rendezvous and docking in Earth orbit
Tests of the Blue Origin and SpaceX crewed landers in test configurations, without landing
Artemis IV: first landing at the South Pole
Two astronauts descend to the surface for about a week
ISRU pilot plant operational
In-situ lunar water/oxygen production
Projects
Active
NASA — Artemis & SLS
Artemis II flew in April 2026. Artemis III (2027) will demonstrate rendezvous and docking in Earth orbit; the landing itself falls to Artemis IV in 2028.
52% — 2027
SpaceX — Starship HLS
HLS (Human Landing System) for Artemis: orbital refueling, lunar airlock bay, lunar propulsion.
68% — 2027
CNSA — Chang'e program
A continuous chain of exploration missions: orbiters, landers, rovers. Permanent base 2030+.
66% — 2026
ISRO — Chandrayaan & Pragyan
Lunar science and technology. Next-generation Pragyan rovers for future missions.
58% — 2028
Development
ESA — Surface Systems & Science
Luna modular habitats (HALO), In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), science forecastle.
35% — 2028+
Axiom Space — Lunar Logistics
Commercial freight and support supplies for Artemis missions and lunar operations.
28% — 2027
Blue Origin — Blue Moon
Multi-decade commercial lunar lander program. Cargo (Blue Moon), crew and lunar service variants.
42% — 2026