NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced the Ignition initiative on March 24, canceling the Lunar Gateway orbiting station to focus on a $20 billion three-phase moon base on the lunar surface. The shift, echoing Trump administration budget proposals, supports frequent Artemis crewed landings amid competition from China and preparations for the first crewed Artemis mission with a launch window opening April 1.
At a three-hour event in the Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, on March 24, Isaacman outlined shifted priorities for the Artemis program. The decision to scrap the international Lunar Gateway—previously led by incoming moon base director Carlos Garcia-Galan—follows proposed budget cuts from the Trump administration last May and recent program overhauls. 'NASA is committed to achieving the near-impossible once again: to return to the moon before the end of President Trump’s term, build a moon base, establish an enduring presence and do the other things needed to ensure American leadership in space,' Isaacman stated.
The moon base effort, estimated at $20 billion over seven years, unfolds in three phases, each involving multiple commercial landings. Phase one, through 2028, delivers 4 metric tons via 21 Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) missions, including the VIPER rover, 'Moon Fall' drones, lunar terrain vehicles, and communication satellites. Phase two (2029-2032) features 27 landings with 60 metric tons for power sources, additional rovers, and site selection, establishing semi-habitable infrastructure with astronauts on the ground and international partnerships. Phase three (2032-2036) adds 28 landings and 150 metric tons for heavier infrastructure supporting four astronauts on four-week missions, including fission power, manufacturing capabilities, Italy's Multi-purpose Habitats, and Canada's Lunar Utility Vehicle.
The plan enables crewed moon landings every six months starting after Artemis V in 2028, aligning with preparations for the first crewed Artemis mission (launch window April 1). Isaacman emphasized urgency amid China's goal of human lunar landings by 2030 and addressed past inefficiencies: 'We are not going to sit idly by while schedules slip or budgets are exceeded.'
Ignition also includes replacing the International Space Station before its 2030 expiration and launching 'SR-1 Freedom,' a nuclear-powered Mars spacecraft in 2028 to deploy three helicopters. The event drew 160 officials from industry, politics, and foreign agencies for contract briefings. Garcia-Galan expressed excitement: 'Everyone wants to be on the surface.'
