The Companies Behind NASA’s Ambitious Plan For Human Settlements On The Moon
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NASA’s Artemis program aims to establish a sustainable human presence near the Moon's south pole. It began with Artemis I, an uncrewed test flight in 2022. The Artemis II is expected to launch in September 2025. This crewed mission will orbit the Moon to test the spacecraft's capabilities. If all goes well, Artemis III, set for 2026, will land the first humans on the Moon since the 1970s.
In past missions, astronauts briefly set foot on the lunar surface before returning home. However, the Artemis III crew will stay longer to search for a suitable location to set up a base camp. This camp will provide a place for astronauts to stay during long-term lunar exploration. It will also support those stopping over during future missions to Mars and beyond. Here are four of the many companies helping NASA achieve this ambitious goal.
Zeno Power
Zeno Power plans to develop a power source for the Moon. Their technology converts heat from radioactive material into energy. This ensures a reliable power source when sunlight is unavailable. With lunar nights lasting about two weeks, it could help solve a major challenge for a permanent base on the Moon.
Redwire Space
Redwire Space is creating technology to build roads and landing pads on the Moon. Their device melts lunar dust and rock, known as regolith, into smooth, solid surfaces. This process fuses the material using heat, eliminating the need for cement or water. The innovation will help NASA build stable surfaces for long-term lunar missions.
Astrobotic Technology
Astrobotic Technology will help with power distribution on the Moon. The company plans to send a test lunar lander and rover to the Moon in 2026. The lander will transmit power to the rover through a cable. If successful, this technology could enable widespread power access on the Moon.
Blue Origin
Blue Origin is developing technology to extract iron, silicon, and aluminum from lunar soil to produce solar cells and wire. This process produces oxygen as a byproduct, which could support human habitation or serve as rocket fuel. This would enable spacecraft to refuel on the Moon before embarking on deep-space missions.
With these innovative companies creating key technologies, NASA’s vision for a sustainable lunar presence may soon become a reality.
Resources: NASA.gov, zenopower.com, Blueorigin.com, Astrobotic.com, Redwirespace.com
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26 Comments
yayyaynugget7216 dayspeople think this is coming soon but this is coming in 2027 or later
award12343 daysMore like 2050 lol
shinoubo12321 daysWow
lovewajobygo24 daysthat is so cool!- omoser1124 daysWOW THAT IS SO COOL
- award123424 daysI have a slight problem with the “extracting matirials from the surface for oxegen” Because the moon does not have an atmosphere there for the oxegen produced would only be of use for rocket fuels. Human inhabitants on the moon would be impossible without an atmosphere of thickness of 1 atmosphere of pressure or we would die to either the vacume of space instantly, destroyed by bone decomposition even in a suit, or lack of oxegen. So we cannot just take off our suits and walk outside our lunar base, and we probly never will.
- award12342 daysIn reply to the original comment: It may be possible to establish safe oxegen levels for humans and maybe pressure environments, but it would take many years to build a dome that large and still run the energy components within the layered environment. This could mean that if the captive space lost power it would be unsafe until resupply. The base would need to run on backup power as an emergency bunker if the dome/captive space failed.
- award123424 daysCool vid, I wish I could be in a rocket
eskewfin28 daysso I could live on the moon, COOL!
boba-books29 daysThat’s kinda cool! 😮
skyza29 daysI dont really want to go to space though… (no offence)- eskewfin28 daysme neither.
sophiakrissy629 daysthis is cool! we are learning about astronauts! I haven't even learn about them in 6th grade!
