NASA's $20B plan: permanent moon base, nuclear spacecraft, Mars helicopters
NASA just dropped a bold $20 billion plan to take space exploration up a notch.
The big goals? Build a permanent human base on the moon, test out nuclear-powered spacecraft, and send helicopters to explore Mars.
Announced at the "Ignition" event on March 24, 2026, this move shows NASA is all-in for long-term missions as global competition heats up.
NASA's ambitious plans for the next decade
The Artemis program is leading NASA's lunar plans. Artemis II will soon send astronauts around the moon, and by 2028, they're aiming for crewed landings every six months.
There's also a plan to set up a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030 (with help from the US Department of Energy) so astronauts can stay powered up through those extra-long lunar nights.
On top of that, NASA wants to test nuclear propulsion for faster trips to Mars and roll out new helicopters for better exploration there.
They're even looking at commercial space stations so humans can keep living and working in orbit, making space feel just a bit more like home.