AI-rewritten: This is a summary of an article from MIT Technology Review, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article – read it for the full story.

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The United States and China are competing to build permanent bases on the moon, with initial astronaut missions planned for 2028. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has announced plans that include robotic landers, nuclear power plants, and plant terrariums. While early missions in the late 2020s will focus on exploration, long-term habitation is expected by the 2030s. This effort involves hundreds of square miles of infrastructure, including research stations and landing pads.

China has near-identical plans to establish its own lunar base. The race is driven by nationalistic competition, as the first nation to succeed will define the moon’s future role. Beyond politics, scientists value the moon for its ancient rocks and its ability to host telescopes that can study the early universe. Launching spacecraft from the low-gravity lunar surface is also more energy-efficient than launching from Earth, making it a critical stepping stone for missions to Mars.

Building a safe, self-sustaining base presents major challenges. The lunar south pole, where NASA intends to build, contains water ice in permanently shadowed craters that could provide drinking water and rocket fuel. However, these areas are among the coldest places in the known universe, with temperatures dropping below –410 °F. Outside these pits, astronauts face extreme heat during 14-day days followed by equally long frigid nights.

Radiation is another significant danger on the moon’s surface. Galactic cosmic rays and solar flares can damage electronics and cause cancerous cell division. While materials science offers solutions for temperature control, protecting against radiation requires thick shielding or dedicated storm shelters. Researchers note that current spacesuits are only suitable for brief excursions, and surviving a major solar flare while outside a base could be fatal.