Washington: According to a report by British news agency PA Media, the proposed lunar base will be situated at the moon’s south pole, with facilities expected to spread across hundreds of square kilometres. The project will be developed in multiple phases, with each stage gradually expanding the base’s capabilities and infrastructure.

NASA said the initiative is aimed at driving new scientific discoveries while also developing advanced technologies required for future deep-space missions, including potential human exploration of Mars.

The announcement follows the milestone achievements of the Artemis 2 mission crew, whose record-breaking flybys of the moon last April marked a major step forward in NASA’s renewed lunar exploration programme.