Building a long-term base on the Moon will require extensive planning – a planetary geologist describes the considerations that go into it

NASA plans to build a semipermanent base on the Moon in the 2030s, as shown in this illustration. NASA Lots of excitement for space bubbled up in spring 2026. The Artemis II mission took a crew of four on a flyby around the Moon, and NASA officials announced their goal of constructing a permanent lunar outpost by 2030. With that announcement, NASA outlined a definitive set of goals for getting humans to the surface of the Moon. That way, people can learn how to live and work productively off…