NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized that the agency will be more selective in international partnerships as the lunar race shifts from national prestige to competition for critical resources. He highlighted the lunar south pole as the optimal site for a permanent base due to concentrated water ice deposits, which could support sustainable settlement and future Mars missions.
Background
Jared Isaacman took over as NASA administrator in late 2025 and is reshaping the agency's approach to international collaboration amid growing U.S.-China competition for lunar resources.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Sep 22, 2026 at 07:00 PM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10