Nasa to spend $20bn on moon base after cancelling orbiting station

New Nasa chief outlines changes to moon programme Artemis including repurposing Lunar Gateway

Nasa is cancelling plans to deploy a space station in lunar orbit and will instead use its components to construct a $20bn base on the moon’s surface over the next seven years, its new chief, Jared Isaacman, said on Tuesday.

Isaacman, who was sworn in at the agency in December, made the announcement at the opening of a daylong event at Nasa’s Washington headquarters at which he outlinedchanges he is making to the agency’s flagship moon programme Artemis.