NASA’s original plan to build a space station orbiting the Moon was seen as a slow and expensive "detour" that delayed landing people on the surface and reaching Mars.NASA is now spending $20 billion to build a permanent base directly on the Moon's surface. They are also building a new nuclear-powered spacecraft, "Space Reactor 1 Freedom," to reach Mars faster.This speeds up human settlement on the Moon and creates powerful new technology for deep-space travel, keeping the U.S. ahead in the global space race.
