The United States could operate a village on the moon within the next decade, powered by a nuclear reactor from commercial partners, in response to NASA's latest RFI, NASA Deputy Administrator Sean Duffy said at the 2025 International Astronautical Congress in Sydney.

During the discussion, he said: “We will have a permanent human presence on the Moon. Not just an outpost, but a village.” As early as February next year, NASA will launch the Artemis II mission, sending four astronauts on the first trip to the Moon in more than 50 years.

Although the Artemis II mission will not land, NASA's ultimate goal is to establish a permanent base on the Moon. This base would likely be nuclear-powered, capable of permanently housing astronauts, and constructed from materials found on the Moon's surface.

The theme of this year's IAC conference was "Sustainable Space: Resilient Earth," which Duffy interpreted as how NASA can support life in space.

While the heads of European, Canadian and Japanese agencies talked about how their satellites help with climate research, NASA focused solely on space exploration.

In addition to his plans for the Moon, Duffy also made bold statements about American ambitions on Mars.