NASA's Ignition Program: Skipping the Lunar Orbiter and Going Straight for a Moon Base

For the second time in as many months, NASA is flipping the script and changing its planned missions for the moon. At the end of last month, the agency pushed back its moon landing to the Artemis IV mission while vowing to complete lunar missions more quickly. This time, the agency said it's scrapping the Lunar Gateway, a lunar orbiter scheduled to launch in 2027, in favor of building a base on the moon.

NASA formally introduced the new initiative, dubbed Ignition, during a 3-hour press conference on Tuesday. Ignition houses many plans for NASA's immediate and long-term future, including replacing the International Space Station before it becomes unusable in 2030, and building "SR-1 Freedom," a nuclear-powered spacecraft scheduled for launch to Mars in 2028. 

"NASA is committed to achieving the near‑impossible once ...