The US intends to fund the first elements of a lunar base in 2027

The US administration expects to allocate funds next year for the "first elements of a permanent American presence on the surface of the Moon."

This is stated in the draft US federal budget for fiscal year 2027, presented by the White House.

"The budget provides for new investments of $175 million in robotic missions to the Moon, which, together with crewed missions, will lead to the deployment of initial elements of a permanent base near the lunar south pole," the document notes.

"The budget requests $8.5 billion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA] Artemis program, which is aimed at landing American astronauts on the Moon by the end of 2028," the White House states.