We got an audience with the "Lunar Viceroy" to talk how NASA will build a Moon base

"Change is always hard. But it was not hard from the perspective of having the focus on doing something that's directly related to the objectives we have at hand, which are bringing humans back to the surface of the Moon and building an outpost."

"I do believe that an orbiting outpost has value in the overall exploration goals, it doesn't mean that we can't do it later. We need to be focused on the surface, and everybody wants to be on the surface."

NASA is prioritizing the construction of a Moon base, transitioning from the previously planned Lunar Gateway project. Carlos Garcia-Galan, the new program executive, expressed enthusiasm for this shift. He acknowledged the challenges of change but emphasized the importance of focusing on surface objectives. Garcia-Galan believes that while the Lunar Gateway has its merits, the immediate goal is to establish a human presence on the Moon. He is optimistic about the team's ability to adapt and contribute to this new direction in lunar exploration.

Read at Ars Technica