Establishment of the first manned lunar bases

By the latter half of this decade, a number of government and private ventures have successfully constructed the first human settlements on the Moon. This marks a significant milestone during a period of accelerated development in space, which has seen major technological advancements and the increased commercialisation of human space flight. Despite the current upheaval being seen around the world as a result of climate change and other issues, public participation via the proliferation of information technology and the promised resources of outer space have succeeded in renewing public interest in human exploration.

Over the past decade, a number of countries returned to the Moon or entered the final stages of planning for the first time in half a century. By the late 2020s and early 2030s, Russia and the United States had built stations in lunar orbit. Also constructed were a series of robotic bases for remote surface exploration. This was finally followed by the first manned bases on the lunar surface in the mid-late 2030s. In many cases, construction is made easier and cheaper thanks to advanced 3D printing. This makes it possible to forge new tools, spare parts and even components for entire buildings, using the lunar regolith as construction material. The poles are the most favoured regions for settlement, having the twin advantages of both (a) permanently illuminated spots for near-continuous solar power, and (b) permanently shadowed craters known to contain water and other volatiles. This is a result of the Moon's axis of rotation.The Moon's South Pole. Permanently shadowed regions appear black. Locations with highest average illumination – highlighted pink – are distributed in a few clusters. The best-illuminated spot is near Shackleton crater, shown by the arrow. Credit: NASA/GSFC

Though much of this has resulted from international cooperation, it is also the long-term culmination of individual national space programs. Russia, for example, had been planning a lunar base since the early 2010s. Its success has been largely thanks to a series of heavy lift rockets developed in recent years. After landing its first man on the Moon at the beginning of the decade, Russia would go on to complete its first base just a few years later.

China has had even more ambitious plans. Following its own manned missions in the previous decade, it has now also completed its first base. Unlike other efforts, China's space program is largely singular, without much international collaboration. This has led to fears about the political, military and other consequences of a Chinese lunar presence.NASA's programs, until this point, have been largely focused on Mars exploration. As a result, lunar occupation by the United States has been mostly in the form of private companies like Bigelow Aerospace. This venture has been especially productive, with a new generation of large inflatable modules established on the lunar surface. Now, however, NASA itself is playing a more active role. With completion of the first Mars landing, there has been a refocusing in recent years on lunar exploration. Though a completed NASA base is still years away, manned operations are initiated around this time. This is done in conjunction with both private and governmental partners and utilises the commercial infrastructure already present.

The participation of other countries – such as Japan, India, Iran and the nations of Europe – is largely limited to joint ventures. The cost of going to the Moon is still considerable and faces major economic and political barriers in many places. Though advances are being made, they are still a few years away from independent programs. India is making the greatest strides, largely thanks to the ongoing expansion of its economy and its emergence as a major world power.