2.7 Living on the Moon?

David A. Rothery Teach Yourself Planets, Chapter 6, pp. 66-75, Hodder Education, 2000, 2003.

Copyright © David Rothery

The projected date for a permanent lunar base seems to have been receding into the future ever since the demise of the Apollo programme. However, unless we give up space exploration entirely it is bound to happen eventually. One major objection to lunar habitation, the lack of water, has now been removed with the discovery of substantial quantities of ice near the poles. No convincing reasons have yet emerged for basing industries on the Moon. However, apart from the advantages for lunar exploration itself, the far side would offer an excellent place from which to do radioastronomy, shielded from the increasing interference from mobile phones and the like.