WASHINGTON, D.C. — NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced Tuesday that the agency will cancel plans for the Lunar Gateway and redirect resources toward building a surface base on the Moon. Isaacman unveiled the shift during an event called Ignition in Washington, D.C., where senior agency leaders presented their exploration plans to about 160 officials from industry, politicians, and foreign space agency leaders.

"If NASA does not succeed now it will cede the Moon to China," Isaacman said. "For too long we tried to satisfy every stakeholder, and the results of that are very well documented in Office of the Inspector General reports."

The agency outlined a detailed plan to construct a Moon base over the next decade through three phases, each estimated to cost about $10 billion. The base will include long-range drones, multiple power sources, sophisticated communications, permanent habitats, scientific laboratories, and local manufacturing capabilities.

Phase one, running through 2028, is projected to comprise 21 landings that will deliver 4 metric tons of payload to the lunar surface. These payloads will include the VIPER rover to prospect for lunar resources, four "Moon Fall" drones that can travel up to 50 km and reach areas difficult for humans to access, initial versions of a lunar terrain vehicle capable of surviving up to 150 hours without sunlight, and radioisotope heater units. During this phase, NASA will also seek to establish two lunar orbital communications satellite constellations.

Phase two, running from 2029 to 2032, will seek to secure a site for a lunar base through 27 landings with a total mass of 60 metric tons. This phase will deliver larger pressurized rovers, solar and nuclear power sources for surface activities, towers for communication, and excavator rovers.

Phase three, from 2032 to 2036, will establish habitats for long-term human presence, supporting four astronauts for four-week missions. This final phase is projected to involve 28 landings seeking to place 150 metric tons of payload on the lunar surface, including fission power, multiple rovers, an "industrial neighborhood" to support in-situ manufacturing, and the capability to return hundreds of kilograms to Earth, including scientific experiments, critical hardware, and lunar materials.

Carlos Garcia-Galan, who formerly served as a deputy program manager for the Lunar Gateway and has been installed as leader of the Moon base initiative, gave an hourlong presentation on the plans. "While I do believe an orbiting outpost has value in our overall exploration goals, this doesn't mean that we can't do it later. We need to be focused on the surface, and everyone wants to be on the surface," Garcia-Galan said.

"We are not going to sit idly by while schedules slip or budgets are exceeded. Expect uncomfortable action if that is what it takes. Taxpayers and their representatives in Congress should demand accountability from every leader and every CEO if those expectations are not met," Isaacman said.

NASA will work with a broad range of industry partners capable of sending medium-size and large cargos to the lunar surface. The agency plans to scale up its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program to accommodate the increased need for frequent access to the Moon with larger cargoes. Attendees at the Ignition event will participate in closed-door briefings Wednesday to receive more details about contract opportunities under the new plans.