The second space race begins

NASA and China are competing to build permanent bases on the moon, alongside private spaceflight companies. This time, the goal is not flags but long-term settlement.

NASA's ambitious lunar plans

Under Administrator Jared Isaacman, NASA plans initial astronaut missions to the lunar surface starting in twenty twenty-eight, with habitation quarters and research stations by the twenty thirty s.

A sprawling lunar city

NASA's moon base program manager Carlos García-Galán says the effort will add up to hundreds of square miles, eventually growing from barely visible structures into luminous cities.

“It's going to be an expanse.”

Why the moon matters

The moon contains primeval rocks revealing solar system formation. Its far side is ideal for ancient telescopes. Low gravity makes launching deeper into space far less difficult.

“The moon is critical. It will be a stepping stone for going further, that means to Mars and beyond.”

Extreme temperatures threaten survival

Daytime temperatures reach more than two hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit; at night they plummet to less than minus two hundred degrees Fahrenheit. The lunar south pole is even harsher.

The south pole's frozen craters

NASA targets the lunar south pole because permanently shadowed craters harbour water ice, more precious than gold. But temperatures there can be lower than minus four hundred ten degrees Fahrenheit.

Radiation from space and sun

Galactic cosmic rays constantly rain down on the moon. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections can blast moonwalkers with deadly radiation. During Apollo, a large solar flare would have killed the crew.

“During Apollo, they knew that if a large solar flare occurred while the crew was on the moon, there would be no way to keep them alive.”

Radiation limits astronaut lifespans

Radiation exposure limits astronauts to around two years maximum on the lunar surface over their entire life before health risks become too high. Underground habitats in lava tubes offer protection.

Meteoroid impacts threaten bases

Earth's atmosphere burns up rocks up to fifty feet across. The moon has no such protection, so it is peppered by tiny space bullets that could puncture spacesuits or rover engines.

“You don't have that option on the moon.”

Lunar dust destroys everything

Volcanic lunar rocks break into sharp, electrostatically charged, adhesive particles. Apollo astronauts suffered lunar hay fever from inhaling it. The dust ate through gear with disturbing ease.

“It rips up seals, gears, motors, spacesuits, habitats, everything else it comes into contact with.”

Dust shields and defenses

NASA developed the electrodynamic dust shield, tested successfully on the lunar surface in twenty twenty-five. Other dust-fighting tools include gecko-skin lint rollers and ionized nitrogen gas blasters.

Dust damage from rocket launches

Each takeoff and landing launches dust in every direction. Metzger calculates that just ten to twenty liftoffs or landings would severely damage protective coatings and communications equipment.

“You have to worry about essentially being sandblasted every time.”

Robots will build the base

Humans are fragile and their time is valuable. NASA's García-Galán says the buildup of the moon base in the first years will be pretty much ninety-nine percent robotic.

Nuclear power for the moon

Two-week-long nights make solar power impractical. A small, car-size nuclear reactor filled with uranium could power a small village for a decade without refueling. NASA wants the first reactor by twenty thirty.

Water ice is the key resource

Water in lunar south pole craters can be split into oxygen and hydrogen for breathable air and rocket fuel. But little is known about how much water exists or how easy extraction will be.

Growing food on the moon

Lunar dust makes terrible garden soil, but with fertilizing fungi, chickpeas can grow in volcanic soil like the moon's. Bioengineered tomatoes could produce anthocyanins to help mitigate radiation damage.

Gardens help astronaut psychology

NASA astronauts aboard the space station secretly grew their own gardens in their cabins. After conversations in summer twenty twenty-six, NASA let them grow mini-gardens anywhere they wanted.

“Some of the astronauts said they thrived better.”

Political will is the real obstacle

NASA's commitment must survive multiple US administrations. China, partnering with Russia, wants to place its own nuclear power plant on the moon around twenty thirty-five. Will political support last?

“These sorts of projects, although very exciting, and potentially transformative for humankind, are the first ones to be delayed or scrapped.”

A lunar economy remains unclear

A self-sustaining moon base requires a lunar economy, but it is unclear whether mining or manufacturing there will be cheaper than Earth-based alternatives. NASA Administrator Isaacman doubts the moon will be a major moneymaker.

“I don't know of anything on the moon right now that's going to be easier and more affordable to mine, manufacture, and then bring back to Earth than what we could make here on Earth.”

Science and international cooperation

The moon could become an international cathedral to science, like Antarctica's research outposts. ESA director general Aschbacher says countries dependent on each other up there might cooperate despite Earth-based conflicts.

“Even if countries on planet Earth have difficulty talking to each other, they might behave differently when it comes to the moon.”