NASA Aiming for Moon to be Inhabited by Astronauts within Next Five Years

NASA is accelerating its ambitious plans to establish a permanent lunar outpost by 2030, driven by a presidential executive order and significant contract awards to U.S. companies.

Elizabeth Delaney

Updated Jun 03, 2026

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NASA Aiming for Moon to be Inhabited by Astronauts within Next Five Years

It still feels a bit like something out of a science fiction movie to imagine that the moon would be inhabited by humans within the next five years, but NASA is going to make the effort to build that dream.

President Trump’s Executive Order for American Space Achievement

The push to get started may have been due to President Trump’s Executive Order in December of 2025. It specifically notes a 2028 deadline for a return to the moon by American astronauts, and that there would be “the establishment of initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030.”

Other significant accomplishments called for by a 2030 deadline in connection to the order include the deployment of nuclear reactors on and in orbit of the moon, the ability to detect, characterize, and counter threats to U.S. space interests, the replacement of the International Space Station, and quite a bit more.

President Trump believes that ensuring “American space superiority” will also secure “America’s national and economic interests,” and that “growing a vibrant commercial space economy through the power of American free enterprise will build prosperity and open new economic opportunities, such as high-paying aerospace manufacturing jobs here in America,” according to the Executive Order.

NASA Has Hit the Ground Running

NASA is doing its best not to waste any time. It announced last week that 20 billion in contract awards from several U.S. companies had been obtained, which it wants to put toward the Artemis missions. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin won the contract for the first mission, which will include delivering rovers worth $280 million to the moon’s surface this fall, according to WNG.

Additional cargo from other companies that won contracts is also being delivered, with Firefly Aerospace delivering drones to the moon’s South Pole before the astronauts arrive. NASA’s goal for an operational base is set for a range of 2029 – 2032, with details laid out at a moon base website.

Remembering the Reaction of the Historic Apollo Crew

When the crew of the Apollo program visited the moon, they were men of faith who were apparently awed by the work of God’s hand upon seeing it out of their spacecraft window. On Christmas Eve of 1968, astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders were a part of a live broadcast in which pictures of the Earth and moon were shown from their spacecraft.

The way that broadcast wound down, according to The Tablet, was with Anders stating, “For all the people on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message we would like to send you.”

Each of them then began to take turns reading from the book of Genesis, starting with, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…”Borman closed out with, “Good night, good luck, and a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you – all of you on the good Earth.”

Space Exploration ‘Glorifies God,’ Says Longtime NASA Astronaut Butch Wilmore

Elizabeth Delaney Author Headshot Elizabeth Delaney has been a freelance content writer for over 20 years and has enjoyed having her prose published in both the non-fiction and fiction markets. She has written various types of content, including Christian articles, healthy lifestyle, blog posts, business topics, news articles, product descriptions, and some fiction. She is also a singer-songwriter-musician. When she is not busy with writing or music, she enjoys spending time with friends or family and doing fun social activities such as hiking, swing dancing, concerts, and other activities.