Moon Cities Unfeasible Due to Water Shortage
Scientists say a lack of sufficient water on the moon makes establishing cities there impossible, despite the presence of water ice in some craters, which had sparked ambitions for lunar bases and industries
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A city of 1 million people would run out of water in 100 years, even with recycling.
Story published. Scientists say a lack of sufficient water on the moon makes establishing cities there impossible, despite the presence of water ice in some craters, which had sparked ambitions for lunar bases and industries
Scientists have concluded that establishing cities on the moon is not feasible due to a lack of sufficient water, despite the presence of water ice in some craters. The study, published in Frontiers in Space Technologies, suggests that while power generation is possible, water availability is a major constraint.
The moon's poles have dozens of crater floors that have not seen direct sunlight in about 4 billion years, with temperatures in some craters below 110K, forming 'cold traps' where water ice won't sublimate away by more than a millimeter in a billion years. However, the total amount of water on the moon is estimated to be around 1 billion tons (910 million tonnes), which is insufficient to support a large population.
The study found that it would be possible to generate 3 gigawatts of electricity using kilometer-tall towers covered with photovoltaic arrays on the rims of the craters. However, a city of 100,000 or 1 million people on the moon would face significant sustainability challenges due to limited water availability.
The presence of water at the lunar poles was confirmed by a succession of moon-orbiting missions starting in 2013, sparking ambitions for lunar bases and industries. Entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk have expressed interest in establishing heavy industry and 'self-growing cities' on the moon. However, the new study suggests that these plans may be unrealistic due to the limited water resources.
## Why it matters The discovery of water on the moon had sparked a new wave of interest in lunar exploration and development. However, the lack of sufficient water resources poses a significant challenge to establishing sustainable human settlements on the moon. The study's findings highlight the need for a more realistic assessment of the moon's resources and the challenges of establishing a human presence there.
The implications of the study's findings are significant, as they suggest that plans for large-scale human settlements on the moon may need to be revised or abandoned. The limited water resources on the moon mean that any human settlement would need to be heavily reliant on external supplies, which would be costly and logistically challenging. As a result, the study's findings are likely to have a major impact on the future of lunar exploration and development.
