International Space Agencies Unveil Next-Decade Deep Space Exploration Roadmap
Summary: On July 25, 2026, multiple national space agencies published a 10-year deep space exploration roadmap, prioritizing lunar base construction and crewed Mars missions
On July 25, 2026, space agencies from multiple countries jointly published a 10-year deep space exploration roadmap. The plan designates the establishment of a permanent lunar base and crewed Mars missions as top priorities, signaling a new phase of systematically coordinated international deep space exploration. Reportedly, the agencies involved in drafting the roadmap include NASA, the European Space Agency, and national space authorities from several other countries.
The roadmap outlines a phased approach to lunar base construction. The first phase, projected for 2028 to 2030, involves validating key technologies and deploying initial infrastructure, including site selection in the lunar south polar region, power generation systems, and communications relay networks. The second phase, spanning 2031 to 2034, aims to establish rotating crewed operations and expand scientific research platforms. The roadmap emphasizes that the lunar base will serve not only scientific purposes but also as a technology testbed and logistics hub for future deep space missions.
For crewed Mars missions, the roadmap sets a reference timeframe of around 2035. Prior to that milestone, the participating agencies plan to conduct a series of robotic missions to assess the Martian surface environment, verify in-situ resource utilization technologies, and carry out long-duration life support system tests. According to agency officials, the specific task allocation and budget proposals are still under interagency coordination, and detailed information will be released once all participating parties have formally confirmed their commitments.