---
title: "NASA: Four Astronauts Will Stay on the Moon For Two Weeks"
description: "NASA says that by 2030 astronauts could stay on the surface of the moon for as long as 14 days instead of the current 6 days."
date: "2019-10-30"
modified: "2019-11-08"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin Houser"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kristin.md"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-moon-visitors-stay-longer-apollo"
categories:
  - "Astronomy"
  - "Moon"
  - "NASA"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "artemis"
  - "moon"
  - "NASA"
  - "the digest"
---

# NASA: Four Astronauts Will Stay on the Moon For Two Weeks

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/nasa-astronauts-stay-moon-6-days1.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: NASA/Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Double Time

Two NASA scientists just shared fascinating new details about the agency's [planned Moon mission](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-head-moon-stay.md>).

During Wednesday's annual meeting of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group, John Connolly and Niki Werkheiser said that NASA plans for the next two astronauts on the Moon's surface to post up for 6.5 days, according to a new *Ars Technica* [story](<https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/10/nasa-shares-details-of-lunar-surface-missions-and-theyre-pretty-cool/>) — twice as long as any NASA astronauts before them.

## Long Walks on the Moon

Connolly and Werkheiser said that the astronauts may conduct as many as four spacewalks while on the Moon's surface. During those walks, they'll sample water ice and perform other scientific observations.

The pair also shared details on an unpressurized rover NASA plans to send to the Moon's surface ahead of the crewed mission. NASA is designing the rover so that astronauts will be able to control it remotely, according to Connolly and Werkheiser — a capability *Ars* described as "like Tesla's 'Smart Summon' feature, only on the Moon."

## Money, Please

The scientists told the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group that NASA is already looking beyond the next crewed mission to the Moon, with plans to send a team of four astronauts to the lunar surface for 14-day-long missions before 2030.

However, Congress still hasn't approved the funding NASA needs for the 2024 mission, so whether it can meet any of these goals is still unclear.

**READ MORE:** [NASA shares details of lunar surface missions—and they’re pretty cool](<https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/10/nasa-shares-details-of-lunar-surface-missions-and-theyre-pretty-cool/>) \[*Ars Technica*\]

**More on Artemis:** *Congress Is Preparing to Kill 2024 Moon Mission*

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinjhouser>)

## More

- [NASA Testing Cozy “Lunar RV” for Moon Astronauts](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-testing-lunar-rv.md>)
- [NASA’s Plan for a Lunar Outpost Just Leaked](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-lunar-outpost.md>)
- [NASA Astronauts Run Into Cow While Practicing for Lunar Landing](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/images-nasa-astronauts-mocked-up-moon-suits.md>)
- [NASA Releases Detailed Plan for 2024 Moon Base Camp](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-detailed-plan-2024-moon-base-camp.md>)
- [NASA Head: “This Time, When We Go to the Moon, We Will Stay.”](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-head-moon-stay.md>)
- [BREAKING: NASA Announces Its Moon Landing Astronauts](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-announces-artemis-astronauts-moon.md>)
- [The Head of NASA Is Scared Chinese Astronauts Will Seize Portions of the Moon](<https://futurism.com/bill-nelson-nasa-head-scared-china-seize-portions-moon.md>)
- [NASA Building Huge Underwater Moon Replica](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-building-underwater-moon-replica.md>)