Lunar Gateway Project Replaced by Lunar Surface Base
달 기지 건립·화성 핵추진 탐사…NASA, 29조 원 규모 계획 공개
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NASA has unveiled a $20 billion (approximately ₩29 trillion) space development plan for the next seven years, shifting its focus from a lunar orbital station to the construction of a base directly on the Moon’s surface. The agency also intends to launch a nuclear-powered probe to Mars within three years. This move represents a significant evolution in NASA’s long-term space exploration strategy.
According to NASA, Administrator Bill Nelson announced the plans on March 24th during a meeting in Washington, D.C., detailing the lunar surface base and the launch of the ‘Space Reactor (SR)-1 Freedom’ Mars probe.
The lunar surface base plan will replace NASA’s previously proposed Lunar Gateway project, a multinational space development initiative that began in 2017 during the first term of the Trump administration. The shift reflects a re-evaluation of priorities and a move towards a more sustainable and accessible lunar presence.
NASA intends to leverage the existing plans and accomplishments of the Lunar Gateway project for the new orbital base construction. The base construction will proceed in three stages: delivering communication, power, and navigation equipment through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program and lunar terrain vehicle program; establishing infrastructure capable of supporting pre-habitation and regular logistics transport; and constructing long-term habitable facilities.
The SR-1 Freedom is a nuclear-powered probe designed to explore Mars. If successful, it will be the first nuclear-powered spacecraft to venture beyond Earth’s orbit, with a planned launch date of December 2028. This mission signifies a bold step towards utilizing advanced propulsion technologies for deep-space exploration.
NASA plans to equip the SR-1 Freedom with scientific payloads and a helicopter for deployment on the Martian surface. These instruments will map subsurface water ice using ground-penetrating radar and assess the potential for utilizing Martian resources.
