NASA to spend $20 billion on a moon base
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One particular line prompted the same taunting gag.
As of Tuesday, March 24, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 33% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.
"NASA is committed to achieving the near‑impossible once again," the U.S. space agency's administrator has said.
The agency’s leader said new plans and timelines for the coming decade aim to create a permanent foothold by humans on another world and inspire Americans.
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See the delicate crescent moon dance with the 'Seven Sisters' of the Pleiades tonight
The Pleiades is a 1,000-strong open star cluster in the constellation Taurus.
NASA plans to invest $20 billion over the next seven years to develop a base on the surface of the moon, the latest major strategy shakeup aimed at enabling humans to live on the lunar surface long-term.
An overhaul of NASA's priorities aims to accelerate moon missions and build a lunar base, but the shift will affect the future of Houston-led programs and commercial space stations.
A recent search for water ice has turned up empty, casting doubt on the abundance of the valuable resource on the lunar surface.