As part of the Vision for Space Exploration, NASA is dedicated to the goal of returning to the moon before 2020. NASA envisions short sorties at first, with longer expeditions of expanding scope as experience grows.

The initial sortie missions will last up to seven days, performing science investigations, resource utilization experiments and technology demonstrations on the surface, before safely returning the crew to Earth. Sortie missions could investigate diverse science sites, or return to a single site to begin the deployment of a permanent outpost. As the buildup of the outpost infrastructure is taking place, mission duration would continue to be extended – from initial outpost missions spanning an entire lunar day (28 Earth days) to permanent crew rotations that eventually would grow to six months on the lunar surface.

To begin to make living on the moon a reality, NASA is developing two lowfidelity mockups at Johnson Space Center. These mockups will lay the groundwork for engineers and scientists to evaluate various options for future lunar habitats that will house astronauts. Using these habitats, lunar crewmembers will embark upon missions to the moon’s surface that will uncover more of the moon’s mysteries, teach us how to use lunar resources and gather information to aid in one of NASA’s longterm goals of sending humans to Mars.

Lunar Sortie Mission

Lunar sortie missions of up to seven days will be conducted from a lunar lander that will include a habitable crew cabin that will support a short surface stay on the moon. The lander will provide a small habitable area with basic galley, waste collection, sleep berths, stowage and medical care capabilities. Lunar sortie missions will establish the capability to conduct human exploration missions to any location on the moon without a preexisting surface structure. These missions might be used to conduct human exploration of potential lunar outpost sites before more permanent surface infrastructure is delivered.