NASA is preparing to return astronauts to the lunar surface for longer stays and increasingly complex operations, an effort that will require new ideas, advanced technologies, and expertise across many fields. The agency's Moon Base Program is central to this endeavor, aiming to establish a sustained human presence at the Moon.
On July 30, Shatel Bhakta, principal systems engineer for NASA's Moon Base Program, presented "Building the Moon Base: Challenges and Opportunities at the Lunar South Pole" at NASA Stories at the Ion. The event, hosted by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, connects agency experts with entrepreneurs, researchers, students, and industry leaders through its partnership with Rice University and the Ion. Laura Neder, head of platform for the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and the Ion District, welcomed attendees, and Monte Goforth, acting director of Business Development and Technology Integration at Johnson Space Center, delivered opening remarks on the value of sharing NASA's work beyond the agency.
Bhakta outlined that NASA is taking a step-by-step approach to Moon Base development. Early robotic missions and technology demonstrations will help the agency gather data about the lunar environment, test systems, and reduce risks before expanding infrastructure and human operations. He said, "This is probably going to be the most challenging endeavor NASA has ever undertaken."
This is probably going to be the most challenging endeavor NASA has ever undertaken.
Meeting that challenge will require collaboration between NASA and its commercial and international partners to develop solutions for operating in extreme environmental conditions. Unlike the Apollo landing sites, areas near the lunar South Pole contain steep slopes, deep craters, and lighting conditions that change throughout the year. The Sun remains low on the horizon, creating shifting shadows that can complicate navigation and leave solar panels without sunlight for extended periods, increasing the need for energy storage and other power sources.
Because of the rugged terrain, crews, rovers, and other surface systems may not always have a clear line of sight to Earth, necessitating communications infrastructure to relay signals across the lunar South Pole. Bhakta explained that Moon Base may not be a single cluster of connected structures; terrain, lighting, power, and landing constraints could require habitats and other systems to be distributed across the lunar surface.
Some permanently shadowed regions near the lunar South Pole may not have received direct sunlight for billions of years and may contain water ice and other volatile materials.
Lunar regolith, or Moon dust, remains one of the greatest challenges. Without mitigation, the sharp and clingy substance could damage equipment and spacesuits while posing health risks to astronauts. Its electrostatic properties can change depending on lighting and environmental conditions, so understanding how lunar regolith behaves will be essential to ensuring crews can safely live and work on the lunar surface.
Permanently shadowed regions may hold water ice and other volatile materials that could support future exploration, but using them will require new mobility, power, and processing systems. The Moon will serve as a proving ground for missions farther into the solar system; operating on the lunar surface will help NASA learn how crews, equipment, and infrastructure perform away from Earth before future human missions to Mars.
Bhakta emphasized that keeping the Moon Base architecture adaptable will require understanding how individual systems connect and work together. He advised, "Don't deal with the technology directly. Deal with the interfaces." Building the Moon Base will take more than engineers and scientists; NASA will need communicators, business professionals, researchers, and people from many other fields. Bhakta encouraged broad participation, saying, "There are many ways to contribute. Don't be afraid that your skill set does not fit in."
Moon Base build-up will offer multiple entry points for industry and international collaborators to participate, innovate, and contribute, with multiple solicitations currently open.
