The Three Phases
From robotic scouts to a permanent lunar home — here's how humanity gets there.
Phase 1
Experiment & Learn
Now – 2029 • Up to 25 missions, 21 landings
- Crewed and autonomous rovers scout the lunar South Pole while MoonFall hopper drones survey permanently shadowed craters for water ice.
- Early power, navigation, and communication systems are demonstrated — including nuclear radioisotope heating units to survive the lunar night.
- Four tons of payload delivered to the surface as the first real "footprint" of the Moon Base effort, testing what works before humans arrive.
Marstronaut Connection
STEM Careers Bingo — Robotics Engineers, Communications Specialists, Planetary Geologists
Phase 2
Early Habitation
2029 – 2032 • Up to 24 landings, 60 tons of cargo
- Semi-permanent infrastructure takes shape — improved solar arrays and initial nuclear power stations (fission reactors and RTGs) provide reliable energy.
- Upgraded rovers, advanced MoonFall drones, and habitation modules arrive via low, medium, and heavy cargo-class landers.
- Surface-to-orbit communications stations ensure high-quality connectivity, and pressurized rovers (supplied by JAXA) enable long-distance exploration.
Marstronaut Connection
Health Careers Bingo — Space Medicine Physicians, Behavioral Health Specialists, Nutrition Scientists
Phase 3
Sustained Human Presence
2032 and beyond • 38 tons of cargo per year
- Semi-permanent habitation modules with spacious interiors support routine crew rotations — living and working on the Moon becomes reality.
- Operational fission surface power provides steady energy through the long lunar nights, powering in-situ resource manufacturing of water, oxygen, and building materials.
- Fleets of crewed and autonomous rovers build out advanced logistics networks, and the base serves as a proving ground for eventual crewed missions to Mars.
Marstronaut Connection
Self-Reliance Skills Bingo — Emergency medical care, life support maintenance, telemedicine capabilities