The NASA Artemis program, now supported by 67 countries under the Artemis Accords, plans to return humans to the Moon by 2028. A recent White House Executive Order has gone further, directing NASA to establish a permanent lunar outpost by 2030.

China also has plans to build a lunar base by 2035.

Building the first long-term habitat on another world will push our engineering to its limits. But lunar architecture isn’t just an engineering challenge. At its heart, it is about understanding human experience at the extremes – and how it can help improve conditions for those already living at the edges here on Earth.

The race to the Moon and beyond is accelerating. Some say it’s for the benefit of all humanity. But is it really? In this seven-part series, we explore what our future in space will look like, how we might travel and survive out there, and what’s needed to stop a catastrophe from happening.

The challenge of building a lunar base

Building on the Moon means dealing with the brutal realities of a near-perfect vacuum and unfiltered space radiation. We have some experience with such challenges from orbital habitats like the International Space Station, but there are additional conditions to contend with.

The lunar surface is covered in razor-sharp dust, or regolith, which is abrasive enough to cut through astronaut suits and destroy........

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