(Ames) Representative Zach Nunn, of Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, joined NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman at Iowa State University on Tuesday to discuss NASA’s plan to establish a permanent lunar outpost near the moon’s south pole.
Nunn said the project will establish America’s presence in an area where testing, technology, and operating systems will be needed if the U.S. is ever going to explore farther destinations, such as Mars.
Nunn said Iowa State students are also helping design high-powered rockets and autonomous robots, which they were able to see on the ISU campus. He said the technology will help with excavating lunar soil and constructing landing pads, roads, and protective barriers needed for a permanent moon base.
Nunn said they also secured an additional $10 million to support navigational technology manufactured in Cedar Rapids. He said the technology will help protect GPS systems from spoofing or jamming by adversaries.
