NASA has unveiled its plans to establish a permanent lunar base by 2032, which will involve a series of robotic missions followed by human landings. The agency aims to send robotic landers and hopping drones to explore the Moon's surface, with contracts awarded to companies like Blue Origin and Astrobotic for the development of these technologies. NASA's ambitious program, known as the Ignition Moon Base program, is designed to create a base powered by nuclear and solar energy at the Moon's south pole. This location is particularly strategic due to the presence of frozen water, which could be utilized for drinking water and oxygen production. However, experts have raised concerns about the feasibility of NASA's timeline, with some suggesting that China may achieve human landings on the Moon before the US. The program's success hinges on the development of a spacecraft capable of safely transporting astronauts, a task currently assigned to SpaceX's Starship Human Landing System, which has faced delays.