NASA’s Moon Base plan is structured in three phases: Phase One runs now through 2029 and focuses on reliable access to the lunar surface, robotic exploration of the south pole, and technology demonstrations; Phase Two runs 2029–2032 and begins deployment of early infrastructure such as power, cargo transport, logistics, and communications; Phase Three begins in 2032 and beyond, with habitats and supporting systems assembled for an enduring crewed outpost near the lunar south pole.[1] NASA says MoonFall, a mission with four propulsive drones, will survey the south polar region in unprecedented detail and create terrain maps of potential landing sites.[1]
Technically, this is a foundation-building campaign for habitation: NASA is explicitly trying to establish ground truth for landing sites, prove surface access, and reduce unknowns before committing people and permanent systems.[1] For the Ark, that means the highest-value survival functions on the Moon will depend on mapping, mobility, comms, and power before population centers exist; the critical risk is not construction speed but misplacement, because south-pole terrain, access, and resource geometry will determine whether a settlement can be sustained.[1]
The Ark team should track three things: south-pole terrain maps from robotic missions, the specific landing corridors and hazard maps NASA validates, and the deployment timeline for power, communications, and cargo infrastructure in Phase Two.[1] The highest-priority research integration is resource-access modeling around the lunar south pole, especially how NASA’s mapping and infrastructure choices constrain water-ice recovery, logistics density, and long-duration survival capacity.[1]