Discovery Series: Building the Moon Base

Discovery Series: Building the Moon Base brings together NASA, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and commercial space leaders for a discussion about the technical, human, economic, and policy challenges of establishing a lasting presence on the moon. The conversation will examine NASA’s Moon to Mars plans, the commercial opportunities and investments needed for lunar development, and the capabilities required to support operations on the lunar surface for months or even years.

Presented by SpaceNews and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center, the program will explore how public and private partners are preparing for continuous lunar activity, including the spaceflight and engineering systems, business cases, and operational strategies still needed to make a moon base possible.

When: September 9, 2026

Showtimes: 6–7:30 p.m. EDT

Venue: Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Tickets: Free

Registration: Registration is required; advance registration is requested.

Who can attend: General public, faculty, staff, and students.

Speakers: Shatel Bhakta, principal systems engineer for Moon Base at NASA; Wes Fuhrman, Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative representative at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory; Jaret Matthews, founder and CEO of Astrolab; and Farah Zuberi, director of spacecraft mission management at Firefly Aerospace.

Presented by: SpaceNews and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center.

Topics: NASA’s Moon to Mars architecture, lunar engineering and human challenges, commercial space opportunities, investment and policy needs, lunar infrastructure, and preparations for sustained operations on the moon.