NASA is focusing on building a lunar base and has suspended the "Gateway" project on the lunar orbit

The head of NASA said on Tuesday (March 24th) that the agency plans to suspend the "Gateway" project, which was originally intended to build a space station on the lunar orbit, and instead shift its focus to "building a lunar base".

Reuters reported that Isaacman said in a statement: "NASA plans to suspend the current form of the 'Gateway' project and will shift its focus to infrastructure construction that can support continuous ground operations."

"Although the existing hardware faces some challenges, NASA will reuse applicable equipment and utilize the commitments of international partners to support these goals."

This announcement came at a time when NASA was adjusting the "Artemis" program. The "Artemis" program aims to send American astronauts back to the moon and establish a long-term base, laying the foundation for the eventual Mars mission.

The suspension of the "Gateway" lunar orbit project was not entirely unexpected. The project has always faced some criticism and was considered a waste of resources or a distraction from other lunar landing plans.

Isaacman took over as NASA's administrator in late 2025. Less than a month ago, he suddenly announced that NASA would adjust the "Artemis" program, which had been repeatedly delayed in recent years, to ensure that Americans could return to the lunar surface in 2028.

Isaacman said that this goal remains unchanged, but NASA is adjusting the flight plan and adding a test mission before the final landing to enhance the "muscle memory" of the launch process.

Artemis 2 was originally scheduled to launch in February, but the target date has now been set for early April.