NASA’s Moon Base roadmap centers on the MoonFall drone program, three to four one‑meter tall, 225‑kg craft built by JPL and launched by Firefly Aerospace. Engineers target a pre‑Artemis IV landing, no earlier than 2028, to collect ultra‑high‑resolution lunar images. Tim Isaacman warned the effort is “extremely challenging,” citing only 80 hours of Apollo EVA experience.

The drones will scout permanently shadowed craters for water ice, map terrain, and assess soil mechanics and lighting for future landings. Current lunar maps resolve about one meter; NASA wants to push that to 1 cm resolution, a hundredfold improvement that could reshape site selection and scientific payload placement. They will also record precise illumination angles to aid solar array placement.

After completing their flight, the drones will be positioned at the corners of the intended base footprint, acting as a permanent perimeter beacon. Equipped with retro‑reflectors, they could double as the first lunar communication nodes, essentially low‑orbit cell towers. It gives engineers a clear boundary for construction. This dual use turns expendable scouting assets into foundational infrastructure for the emerging Moon settlement.