NASA has unveiled plans to construct a $20 billion moon base by 2032, giving humans their first permanent outpost on another celestial body. But what will this 'city' on our lunar satellite look like?
Initial Stages: Simple and Collapsible
The lunar outpost will initially be fairly basic, using a simple collapsible structure carried all the way from Earth. However, as NASA's presence becomes more permanent, the small camp will soon expand into a sprawling modular metropolis.
Dr. Simeon Barber, a lunar scientist from the Open University, told the Daily Mail that Antarctic research stations are a good comparison for NASA's moon base. Just like a home on the moon, these remote habitats need to be self-sufficient, built with materials carried over long journeys, and protect their inhabitants from harsh conditions. But Dr. Barber says that a moon base will also require 'specific requirements stemming from the unique circumstances at the moon.' This means that NASA's moon base will probably end up as a widely spread collection of prefabricated modules, sprawling over hundreds of square miles.
Three-Stage Plan
On Tuesday, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman laid out the agency's three-stage plan to build a permanent presence on the moon. Between autumn this year and 2029, the agency will oversee up to 21 lunar landings to deliver scientific equipment and robotic scouts. A fleet of MoonFall helicopter drones and uncrewed rovers will patrol the South Pole region, looking for sources of water and an ideal location for human settlement. Between 2029 and 2032, the first humans will start to arrive, establishing basic infrastructure, habitation, and power supplies. Finally, in 2032, NASA will move into the final stage of permanent occupation, establishing a full-time moon base with regular crew rotations and resupply landings.
Harsh Lunar Conditions
Speaking at a press conference, Mr. Isaacman identified the biggest challenge as the moon's astonishingly harsh conditions. On the lunar surface, temperatures can swing from around 100°C (212°F) in the day to –100°C (–148°F) at night. This is accompanied by the constant threat of radiation, impact from micrometeorites, and harmful clouds of choking lunar dust. 'There is no atmosphere to moderate these extremes,' added Mr. Isaacman.
Given these conditions, the first requirement for a lunar base is that it offers enough protection for the astronauts living there. Dr. Barber says: 'It needs to provide a habitable environment. So, air to breathe, temperature control to tame the wild day–night changes at the Moon's surface, protection from radiation, and from the very fine, abrasive and toxic Moon dust.'
Physical and Psychological Needs
However, a moon base also needs to cater to astronauts' basic physical and psychological needs. Astronauts will need space to wash and shower to keep infections at bay, as well as plenty of space to exercise to fight the muscle and bone loss which comes with living in reduced gravity. 'And not to forget, the explorers will be living in harsh and stressful conditions, so mental health will be important,' adds Dr. Barber. This means the crew will need somewhere to rest and relax after a hard day at work exploring the deadly lunar surface.
Prefabricated Structures and Inflatables
With so many different requirements, the most likely solution is to send prefabricated structures to Earth that can be assembled on the lunar surface. These could be made from repurposed parts of the spacecraft that sends the astronauts to the moon in the first place, or simply using the lander itself. NASA has also investigated using inflatable structures that could be packed up very small before expanding on the surface. Professor Mahesh Anand, an expert on the lunar surface from the Open University, told the Daily Mail: 'The earliest habitable structure on the Moon will most likely be constructed largely from materials brought from Earth and, later, combined with materials derived from the landing region. A self-inflatable tent made of light, but mechanically very strong material, could be sited in a sheltered place in the vicinity of the lander, which would probably offer the least risk.'
Much like the International Space Station, modular options will allow the moon base to start simple before attaching more parts as needed. Experts say that astronauts could then bury these early structures in lunar regolith, the loose soil of the moon's surface, to provide some basic protection from meteorites and radiation.
Nuclear Power and In-Situ Resource Utilization
The big leap forward for the moon base will come when NASA installs a nuclear reactor around 2029. NASA has been working on small 40-kilowatt-class reactors that are designed to be launched inert from Earth and activated upon arrival. Due to the radiation risk, astronauts would also need to place these far from their actual habitat or bury them deep within the lunar regolith. However, once the astronauts have a steady supply of power, they will be able to start gathering and processing materials from the moon's surface, in a process called 'in situ extraction.' Dr. Barber explains: 'Earth's strong gravity field means a lot of energy is required to lift anything off Earth's surface and then land it on the Moon. So there is a strong argument for living off the land and making use of local resources.'
NASA is currently developing robots that can convert lunar soil into bricks to be used in construction, as well as ways of processing the regolith into new materials. Recent research has shown that lunar regolith can be 'printed' using a laser, melting layers of dust to form highly durable structures. These methods could be used to 3D print entire buildings that would be a more comfortable, permanent housing solution for the astronauts.
Layout of the Moon Base
But this new industrial expansion would also shape the layout of the moon base. Unlike an Antarctic research station, which keeps everything tightly packed in one structure, a moon base would need to be spread out over miles. The radiation from the nuclear reactor would need to be kept at a safe distance, as would the sites for excavating and processing the hazardous moon dust. Likewise, some scientific instruments would need to be kept in a 'radio-quiet' location, far from any potential interference. This means that the final moon base would look a lot less like an Earth-based research outpost and more like a sprawling collection of individual structures, dotted over a vast blank terrain.
Artemis II: Key Facts
- Launch date: April 1
- Mission objective: To complete a lunar flyby, passing the 'dark side' of the moon and test systems for a future lunar landing.
- Total distance to travel: 620,000 miles (one million km)
- Mission duration: 10 days
- Estimated total cost: $44 billion (£32.5 billion)
- NASA Space Launch System rocket: $23.8 billion (£17.6 billion)
- Orion deep-space spacecraft: $20.4 billion (£15 billion)
- Crew: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen
