page_title: Colonization of the Moon
hierarchical_section_title: Colonization of the Moon
caption_attribution_description: This artist's concept of a lunar base and extra-base activity was revealed during a 1986 Summer Study on possible future activities for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. A roving vehicle similar to the one used on three Apollo missions is depicted in the foreground. The artwork was done by Dennis Davidson.
context_page_description: Colonization of the Moon is the proposed establishment of a permanent human community or robotic industries on the Moon, the closest astronomical body to Earth.
  Discovery of water in the soil at the lunar poles by Chandrayaan-1 in 2008–09 renewed interest in the Moon, after NASA missions in the 1990s suggested the presence of lunar ice. Locating a colony at one of the lunar poles would also avoid the problem of long lunar nights—about 354 hours long, half a lunar month—and allow the colony to take advantage of the continuous sunlight there for generating solar power.
  Permanent human habitation on a planetary body other than the Earth is one of science fiction's most prevalent themes. As technology has advanced, and concerns about the future of humanity on Earth have increased, the vision of space colonization as an achievable and worthwhile goal has gained momentum. Because of its proximity to Earth, the Moon is seen by many as the best and most obvious location for the first permanent human space colony. Currently, the main problem hindering the development of such a colony is the high cost of human spaceflight.
context_section_description: Colonization of the Moon is the proposed establishment of a permanent human community or robotic industries on the Moon, the closest astronomical body to Earth.
  Discovery of water in the soil at the lunar poles by Chandrayaan-1 (ISRO) in 2008–09 renewed interest in the Moon, after NASA missions in the 1990s suggested the presence of lunar ice. Locating a colony at one of the lunar poles would also avoid the problem of long lunar nights—about 354 hours long, half a lunar month—and allow the colony to take advantage of the continuous sunlight there for generating solar power.
  Permanent human habitation on a planetary body other than the Earth is one of science fiction's most prevalent themes. As technology has advanced, and concerns about the future of humanity on Earth have increased, the vision of space colonization as an achievable and worthwhile goal has gained momentum.  Because of its proximity to Earth, the Moon is seen by many as the best and most obvious location for the first permanent human space colony.  Currently, the main problem hindering the development of such a colony is the high cost of human spaceflight.
  There are also several projects that have been proposed for tourism on the Moon in the near future by private space companies.
caption: Artist's concept of a NASA lunar colony, 1986
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