Lunar habitation

Lunar habitation is the presence of humans living on the Moon, typically within surface structures that may form part of a larger base. So far, the only such habitats ever built and used were the short-term Apollo Lunar Modules, beginning with *Eagle* at Tranquility Base. As of 2024, two major initiatives—the American-led Artemis program and the Chinese-led International Lunar Research Station—are working toward creating permanent settlements on the lunar surface.

Building on the Moon offers practical advantages. Lunar soil and rock can be used for construction, especially for shielding against cosmic radiation. Because the Moon’s gravity is much weaker than Earth’s, launching objects from its surface into space requires far less energy and propellant. This could make the Moon a source of building materials for nearby space. Some proposals suggest using electric mass drivers or momentum exchange tethers instead of rockets to move cargo off the Moon. The Moon’s gravity, about one-sixth of Earth’s, may also be important for human health and fetal development, though whether it is sufficient is still unknown. The Moon is also the closest large body in the solar system, consistently about 384,400 km away, closer than most asteroids.

Observatories built on the Moon from local materials could avoid the cost of launching telescopes into space. Lunar soil, though abrasive for moving parts, has been studied for potential use in construction, but proposals for mixing it with carbon nanotubes and epoxies to create large mirrors remain speculative and unverified in real-world projects. The Moon is nearby, has no atmospheric blurring, and offers permanently dark, cold craters near the poles ideal for infrared telescopes. Radio telescopes on the far side would be shielded from Earth’s radio noise. A lunar zenith telescope could be built cheaply using ionic liquid. A farm at the lunar north pole could provide eight hours of sunlight per day during the local summer by rotating crops in continuous sunlight, with artificial temperature control, radiation protection, and pollination. One estimate suggests a 0.5-hectare farm could feed 100 people.

However, the Moon presents serious challenges. The long lunar night makes solar power unreliable, and equatorial areas face extreme temperature swings from about 95 K to 400 K.