Cities on the moon may run dry far faster than space barons think
A new study by astronomers Martin Elvis and Jonathan McDowell suggests that even with a generous estimate of one billion tonnes of water ice, the moon could only support a million people for about a century with 98% recycling. This finding challenges optimistic visions of large-scale lunar settlements by space agencies and entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.
Why it matters
This research provides a crucial reality check for long-term lunar settlement plans, emphasizing that water scarcity could be a significant limiting factor for sustained human presence and industrial development on the moon, despite ongoing efforts by NASA and China to establish lunar bases.
As NASA and China speed up their lunar space programmes, a more-than-temporary human settlement on the moon inches closer to reality. Space agencies with these plans are targeting the moon’s south pole region, where permanently shadowed craters are supposed to hold large quantities of water ice, which a human base can use as a water source.
In the long-term, entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos have argued for moving heavy industries to the moon while Elon Musk said the satellite can even support a “self-growing city”. As on the earth, water is at the centre of all these plans.
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