NASA has an update coming on its plan for astronauts to live on moon

Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY

Tue, June 30, 2026 at 1:30 PM UTC

3 min read

Work has fast been underway between NASA and its commercial partners to turn its ambitious dream of a habitable lunar outpost into a reality.

After first unveiling plans for a venture it calls "moon base" in March, NASA leaders are about to provide the second major public update in as many months on the unprecedented undertaking. A news conference set for today (June 30) comes about a month after the last one in May and a few weeks after the U.S. space agency unveiled the crew for the next mission under its Artemis program.

Those four astronauts are due in 2027 to fly to Earth orbit in a critical mission testing docking capabilities with two commercial lunar landers. A follow-up to the historic Artemis II mission in April , Artemis III would precede the first human moon landing in more than half-a-century.

Ultimately, NASA aims for Artemis IV to be the first of many astronaut missions to the lunar south pole amid plans to construct a moon base where humans can live and work longterm.

NASA releases thousands more Artemis II photos. Here are the best. — NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth. (Provided by NASA)

Here's what to know about the moon base and how to watch NASA's live coverage of the news conference.

NASA moon base: Here's what NASA said about its permanent moon base plans

What is NASA's moon base?

Artist's rendering of the Moon's South Pole region. Glowing points of light scattered across the lunar surface represent surface assets supporting sustained human and robotic operations near the South Pole. — Artist’s rendering of the Moon’s South Pole region. Glowing points of light scattered across the lunar surface represent surface assets supporting sustained human and robotic operations near the South Pole.

NASA leaders have previously announced plans to construct a $20 billion moon base toward the largely unexplored lunar south pole. The base would come together across three phases during both uncrewed and crewed missions to deliver vehicles, equipment and infrastructure to the moon.

Once completed, the base would be where astronauts could live and work longterm with the dual objectives of studying the moon while also helping NASA learn how best to send the first humans to Mars .

NASA to provide update on moon base

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Carlos García-Galán, Moon Base program manager, are due June 30 to provide another public update to the media on the status of the moon base plans.

During the briefing, the leaders will outline updates and share progress toward the goal of establishing a "sustained human presence and expanded scientific and commercial activity on the lunar surface," according to a news release .

10 days, 10 photos. Here are the most stunning images from Artemis II — The Artemis II mission launches April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The four-person crew aboard the Orion spacecraft hitched a ride to orbit atop NASA's giant 322-foot Space Launch System rocket. Launching atop 8.8 million pounds of thrust, the SLS is the most powerful rocket NASA ever launched, about 17% more powerful than the iconic Saturn V rocket used during the Apollo era. (Nadia Zomorodian, News-Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK)

In honor of Earth Day, see these photos of our planet from space — Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman of NASA took this stunning photograph of Earth from the Orion spacecraft's window on April 2. The image is reminiscent of the iconic "blue marble" image captured during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. (Reid Wiseman/NASA)

Jeremy Hansen retires at CSA after Artemis moon mission. See photos — The crew members of Artemis II embrace following the historic lunar flyby April 6, during which the astronauts flew farther from Earth than anyone in human history while seeing sights of the moon's far side never seen in person. (Provided by NASA)

10 days, 10 photos. Here are the most stunning images from Artemis II

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The Artemis II mission launches April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The four-person crew aboard the Orion spacecraft hitched a ride to orbit atop NASA's giant 322-foot Space Launch System rocket. Launching atop 8.8 million pounds of thrust, the SLS is the most powerful rocket NASA ever launched, about 17% more powerful than the iconic Saturn V rocket used during the Apollo era. (Nadia Zomorodian, News-Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK)

When, how to watch NASA coverage of moon base update today

NASA will provide live coverage of the news conference beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, June 30.

The livestream will be available on the agency's free YouTube channel.

Livestream: Watch NASA moon base update

When will astronauts land on the moon? What to know about Artemis

Meet NASA's Artemis III team with first European pilot — NASA named four astronauts for Artemis III at a press conference in Houston on June 9, 2026. The crew is preparing for a 2027 launch.

(L-R) NASA astronaut commander Randy Bresnik, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut pilot Luca Parmitano, NASA astronaut mission specialist Frank Rubio, and NASA astronaut mission specialist Andre Douglas speak during a press conference announcing the crew for the Artemis III mission at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on June 9, 2026.
(RONALDO SCHEMIDT, AFP via Getty Images)

Meet NASA's Artemis III team with first European pilot

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NASA named four astronauts for Artemis III at a press conference in Houston on June 9, 2026. The crew is preparing for a 2027 launch.

(L-R) NASA astronaut commander Randy Bresnik, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut pilot Luca Parmitano, NASA astronaut mission specialist Frank Rubio, and NASA astronaut mission specialist Andre Douglas speak during a press conference announcing the crew for the Artemis III mission at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on June 9, 2026.

(RONALDO SCHEMIDT, AFP via Getty Images)

Under NASA's Artemis campaign, the space agency is planning to put astronauts on the surface of the moon for the first time since the Apollo era ended in 1972.

Not only is Earth's celestial neighbor a pristine time capsule ripe for study – preserved almost unaltered throughout the course of billions of years – but the moon is viewed as a stepping stone for human exploration deeper into space. One of the prime objectives of the Artemis program is to determine how humans can survive and thrive on the lunar surface before they head to Mars .

In April, four astronauts traveled around the moon and back on the Artemis II mission without landing in a critical test of the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion crew capsule central to the missions. Next, four more astronauts will travel to Earth orbit in 2027 on the Artemis III mission that will test one or both commercial lunar landers being developed by spaceflight companies SpaceX and Blue Origin .

Those two test missions are meant to set the stage for the first of many planned human moon landings beginning as early as 2028 with Artemis IV.

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASA has an update coming on its plan for astronauts to live on moon