NASA has announced a major shift in its lunar strategy, scrapping plans for an orbiting space station and instead committing $20 billion to build a permanent base on the Moon's surface.
The decision effectively cancels the Lunar Gateway project in its current form, with its partially built components now set to be repurposed for surface infrastructure under the Artemis program.
NASA chief Jared Isaacman said the move reflects a broader focus on sustained operations on the Moon rather than orbital support systems. The agency aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface by 2028.
The overhaul could affect international partners, including the European Space Agency, as well as Japan and Canada, which had committed to the Gateway station.
Alongside the lunar plans, NASA revealed ambitions to send a nuclear-powered spacecraft (dubbed "Space Reactor 1 Freedom") to Mars before the end of 2028. The mission would test advanced nuclear propulsion and deploy helicopters for exploration.
The changes come as part of a broader push to accelerate space capabilities amid growing competition with China, which is targeting its own crewed Moon landing around 2030.
Private companies, including SpaceX and Blue Origin, remain central to the program, though both are facing delays in developing lunar landers.
The shift marks one of the most significant redesigns of NASA's Artemis program since its launch in 2017, signaling a stronger emphasis on long-term human presence beyond Earth.