The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is shifting the focus of its Artemis lunar program from the orbital gateway space station to establishing a permanent lunar base, with plans to allocate approximately $20 billion over the next seven years in phased development with international partners. The program prioritizes lunar surface operations for technology testing and Mars mission preparation, delays the Artemis 3 mission to 2027, and aims to achieve crewed Mars missions every two years following the Artemis 5 mission.