# Global lunar colonization and base development

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/global-lunar-colonization-and-base-development
> Updated: 2026-09-08T20:24:41.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 4.

Developments regarding the establishment of permanent lunar bases have emerged from both private industry and national space agencies. Dylan Taylor, CEO of Voyager Technologies, has predicted that humans will be living and working on the Moon by the early 2030s, envisioning an economic hub involving lunar mining, power grids, and orbital data centers. 

In response to geopolitical competition, NASA has implemented the ‘Ignition’ initiative, prioritizing a permanent human base on the lunar surface over the previously planned lunar Gateway space station. Administrator Jared Isaacman stated the agency is pausing the Gateway in its current form to focus resources on surface infrastructure, such as habitats, rovers, and crewed landers. NASA intends to invest approximately $20 billion over seven years to accelerate the Artemis program, aiming to launch Artemis IV and Artemis V missions by 2028. 

To support these goals, NASA has launched the Lunar Enabling Infrastructure Accelerator (LEIA) through its NextSTEP-3 program. This initiative seeks proposals to close capability gaps in five priority areas: vertical solar array technology, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) for oxygen extraction from regolith, radioisotope Stirling generators, advanced in-space manufacturing, and nanomaterials production. Greg Stover, director of NASA’s Advanced Research and Technology Division, noted that partnering with industry will strengthen the U.S. industrial base. To foster a future workforce, NASA officials have engaged in academic outreach, including visits to Iowa State University to discuss the three phases of moon base development. NASA aims to establish a permanent base by 2032, while Roscosmos has announced plans for automated lunar bases starting after 2036.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-08: NASA seeks technology proposals for future lunar base

NASA has launched a call for proposals to develop essential technologies, such as oxygen extraction and lunar power systems, to support a permanent human base at the Moon’s South Pole.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nasa-advances-lunar-base-plans-through-technology-solicitations-and-academic-outreach

### 2026-09-03: NASA prioritizes permanent moon base over lunar Gateway station

NASA is pivoting from the lunar Gateway space station to focus on building a permanent moon surface base through its ‘Ignition’ initiative, aiming for Artemis IV and V missions by 2028.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nasa-prioritizes-permanent-moon-base-over-lunar-gateway-station

### 2026-08-27: Roscosmos announces plans for permanent lunar bases after 2036

Roscosmos aims to establish permanent, automated lunar bases after 2036, focusing on nuclear propulsion and life-support systems despite recent launch failures and technical delays.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/roscosmos-announces-plans-for-permanent-lunar-bases-after-2036

### 2026-08-18: Voyager Technologies CEO predicts lunar bases by the 2030s

Voyager Technologies CEO Dylan Taylor predicts that permanent human bases for living and working could be established on the Moon by the early 2030s, fueling a new lunar economy.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/voyager-technologies-ceo-predicts-lunar-bases-by-the-2030s

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Cite as: Global lunar colonization and base development. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/global-lunar-colonization-and-base-development