Timeline

From Zero to Moon Base in Under a Year

A timeline for the ultra-rapid establishment of the first permanently crewed lunar industrial park.

Before First Launch

Milestones to complete before the first Starship heads to the Moon

Reference Architecture

Complete mission architecture using only TRL 5-9 commercial hardware. 18 flights, 12 months, equatorial site.

Complete

ICES Paper Published

Technical feasibility study submitted to the 55th International Conference on Environmental Systems.

Complete

Stakeholder Analysis

8-group analysis of support, objections, and dynamics for a privately-funded lunar industrial park.

Complete

Consortium Formation

Recruit founding members across launch, power, habitat, ISRU, robotics, comms, legal, and insurance.

In Progress

Industry Networking

Build relationships with potential partners, investors, and tenants. Space Symposium 2026 and beyond.

In Progress

Founding Partners Signed

Letters of intent from key hardware and service providers. Target: $10M+ in early commitments.

Upcoming

Seed Funding Secured

$350M initial raise from private capital to de-risk the architecture and begin procurement.

Upcoming

Validation Roadmap Executed

Top 5-7 assumptions validated. Orbital refueling, regolith stability, dust mitigation, ISRU yield confirmed.

Upcoming

Regulatory Pathway Cleared

FAA commercial launch licensing, ITAR compliance, Outer Space Treaty alignment confirmed.

Upcoming

Launch Provider Agreement

Contract with SpaceX for ~18 Starship HLS flights from dual pads over 12 months.

Upcoming

Hardware Procurement Begins

Orders placed for FSP reactors, Sierra LIFE Hab, MRE/MSE plants, GITAI robotics, Nokia comms stack.

Upcoming

T - 0

First Launch

Uncrewed
Crewed
Permanent Occupation

The 12-Month Buildout

From first flight to permanent human presence on the Moon

Uncrewed Phase
Months 1 - 2

Foundation

First 4 flights. Staging comms, navigation, and positioning. Preparing for reactor deployment.

Flights #1 - #4 ~50-70 t delivered
  • Deploy comms, PNT relays, and navigation receivers
  • Initial site survey and regolith analysis
  • Deliver FSP reactor #1
  • Land GITAI R1.5 rover for site preparation
  • Deliver initial water tanks (~40 t)
  • Validate rapid launch cadence from Starbase

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Month 3

Power Online

Second reactor deployed. Site survey continues. Regolith excavation and moving begins.

Flights #5 - #6 ~40-50 t delivered
  • Robotic deployment of first FSP reactor (40 kWe)
  • Deliver and stage FSP reactor #2
  • Deploy IPEx excavators for regolith hauling
  • Continue site survey and terrain mapping
  • Begin basic regolith moving and grading

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Months 4 - 5

Habitat & ISRU Arrive

Major hardware deliveries. Habitat modules, life support, and ISRU plants land on the surface.

Flights #7 - #10 ~70-90 t delivered
  • Robotic deployment of second FSP reactor (80 kWe total)
  • Deliver Sierra LIFE Hab modules (300 m3, prefabricated)
  • Site prep for habitation area
  • Deliver ECLSS hardware (ISS-heritage, >93% water recovery)
  • Land MRE and MSE ISRU plants
  • Deliver remaining water supply (~40 t)
  • Habitat landing and initial setup
  • ISRU landing and placement

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Month 6

Shielding & Systems Check

Habitat inflated and shielded. Redundant life support online. ISRU pilot plant commissioned.

Flights #11 - #12 ~30-40 t delivered
  • Robotic inflation and berthing of habitat
  • Initiate radiation shielding (1.5-2m regolith overburden)
  • Deploy robotic arms for shielding construction
  • Install redundant ECLSS loops
  • Commission ISRU pilot plant (MRE/MSE)
  • Deliver ISRU feed materials
  • Integrated pre-crew validation (uncrewed tours)

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Crewed Phase
Month 7

Day One

First crewed mission. 4 crew for a ~14-day lunar daylight rotation. Humans on Luna One.

Flight #13 ~40-50 t delivered
  • First crewed ~14-day "Day 1" mission
  • Crew of 4 cross-trained specialists
  • Crew oversight of robotics and ISRU operations
  • Validate habitability and life support
  • Deliver oversight tools and short-rotation provisions

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Months 8 - 11

Maturation

Up to four additional daylight crew rotations. Systems maturing. Shielding completed. Crew procedures escalate.

Flights #14 - #17 ~120-160 t delivered
  • Up to four additional 14-day daylight rotations
  • Maturing ECLSS and ISRU systems to steady-state
  • Complete full radiation shielding
  • Escalating crew procedures and operational tempo
  • Additional outfitting and crew provisions
  • Metal processing tools from ISRU by-products
  • Habitat interior finish-out and lab setup

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Permanent Occupation
Month 12

Open for Business

Final certification mission. Rotating shifts established. Continuous occupation begins. Scale to industrial operations.

Flight #18 + Sustainment ~40-50 t delivered
  • Final certification mission for permanent occupation
  • Multi-month stay provisions delivered
  • Establish rotating crew shifts for continuous presence
  • Transition from day-staffed to 24/7 operations
  • Scale to industrial operations
  • ISRU steady-state: >80 kg O2/day
  • First tenant operations begin
  • Total delivered: ~1,000-1,200 t

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