Imagine this: craters instead of lush forests, solar storms sweeping over the barren surface, and not a single breath of air to fill your lungs. Welcome to the Moon, where some people still dream of building a house! Yes, the idea of living on the Moon has been around for ages, but let’s get real for a second—what would it actually take to build a lunar home?
The Dream of Lunar Living
The dream of life on the Moon has fascinated humanity for centuries. Fast forward to today, 50 years after the first Moon landing on July 21, 1969, and that dream is being rekindled. Government agencies and private companies are all eyeing a return to our lunar neighbor, and this time, they’re planning to stay. Moon bases, colonies, and even the possibility of buying a nice lunar plot for yourself are no longer just science fiction. There are folks out there who believe we should grab a piece of the Moon before it’s all claimed!
But as any realtor will tell you, it’s all about location, location, location. The Moon may be Earth’s nearest neighbor, but we still don’t know everything about it. Should you live on the side always facing Earth, with its postcard-perfect view, or on the mysterious far side where you’ll never see Earth again? If you choose the far side, well, you might have a better view of the stars but communication with Earth could be a nightmare.
Dark Side of the Moon (Or Not)
The so-called “dark side” of the Moon isn’t dark at all—it’s just the side that never faces Earth. And while it might offer some stellar stargazing, being cut off from Earth communications is a pretty big downside. You don’t want to be the astronaut living behind the Moon, waiting for your emails to load.
Still, that far side offers an alluring prospect for scientists and dreamers alike: endless possibilities for exploration. It’s a blank canvas of craters and unexplored terrain, just waiting for someone to call it home—or to inspire yet another space-themed blockbuster.
Energy on the Moon: Helium-3 and Solar Power
Now, what’s a home without electricity? You can’t just call the Moon’s version of an energy provider and get hooked up. But one popular idea for Moon settlers involves using Helium-3, a rare isotope found on the lunar surface. Helium-3 could theoretically power the Earth and Moon with clean energy, but there’s a catch—extracting it is incredibly complicated. So, while it’s tempting to imagine Helium-3 powered Moon houses, the technology to harvest it is still a distant dream.
In the meantime, we’ve got solar power, and luckily, the poles of the Moon are almost perpetually bathed in sunlight. If you’re picking a spot to settle down, the Moon’s poles are prime real estate for setting up solar panels.
Finding Water on the Moon
Then there’s the small issue of water, which—spoiler alert—you won’t find just lying around on the lunar surface. For decades, scientists thought the Moon was bone dry. The Apollo astronauts even radioed back to Earth, reporting that the Moon was a “dry, dusty rock.” That was mostly true—until scientists realized they weren’t looking deep enough.
In 2009, researchers deliberately crashed a probe into the Moon’s south pole, kicking up tons of debris. In that cloud of dust, they detected water. Where did it come from? Well, it turns out that ice has been trapped in the Moon’s craters for billions of years, most likely delivered by asteroids. There’s enough frozen water lurking in the Moon’s north pole to fill 240,000 Olympic swimming pools. So, with a little ingenuity, future Moon residents might be sipping lunar ice water someday.
Building on the Moon: Moon Dust and 3D Printers
So, you’ve got your plot of Moon land, and you’ve figured out how to power it and hydrate yourself. Now, how do you build your Moon mansion? You can’t exactly FedEx a bunch of bricks to the Moon. Enter 3D printing—the futuristic solution to our construction woes.
Instead of hauling massive amounts of building materials from Earth, why not print your house on the Moon using lunar regolith—a fancy term for Moon dust? The European Space Agency has already tested the idea, printing a massive building block out of simulated lunar dust. The concept is simple: robotic rovers would scoop up Moon dust, mix it with magnesium oxide, and spray it out layer by layer to form walls. This “Moon concrete” is 99% Moon dust, which means we’d only have to bring a small amount of materials from Earth.
What’s even cooler (literally) is that Moon concrete, due to the lower gravity, would be about ten times stronger than Earth concrete. The possibilities for lunar architecture are mind-boggling. Architects could design towering, gravity-defying structures—imagine a sci-fi skyline on the Moon, free from the constraints of Earth’s pull!
The Perils of Moon Living
Before you start packing your bags, there are a few more things to consider. The Moon isn’t exactly the coziest place. For one, the temperature swings are extreme—daytime temperatures can soar to 100°C (212°F), while nighttime plunges to a bone-chilling -180°C (-292°F). Your Moon home will need serious insulation.
Then there’s radiation. Without an atmosphere or magnetic field to protect you like on Earth, you’ll be bombarded with cosmic rays. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are already exposed to ten times more radiation than on Earth. A month on the Moon would expose you to more radiation than you’d get in an entire lifetime on Earth. Thick walls of lunar concrete will be essential to keep you safe.
Oh, and did I mention meteors? The Moon is constantly under assault by meteoroids, which strike its surface with alarming frequency. With no atmosphere to burn up incoming debris, your lunar house will need to withstand these impacts—no small feat.
Underground Living: Moon Caves
Given the constant meteor showers and radiation bombardment, building underground starts to sound pretty appealing. And guess what? The Moon might already have the perfect shelter system: lava tubes.
Lava tubes—massive underground caves formed by ancient volcanic activity—could offer ready-made protection from the Moon’s harsh environment. These tunnels, some of which stretch for kilometers, could provide natural shielding from meteors and radiation. Scientists even discovered an opening to a potential lava tube near the Moon’s north pole in 2018, where there’s also likely to be a wealth of frozen water. Talk about a prime location!
But living underground has its downsides. Namely, it’s dark. Really dark. Imagine spending your days in perpetual night, even more isolated from the outside world. That’s why, despite the protection they offer, I’d much rather build my house above the surface, basking in the sunlight (with a thick concrete roof, of course).
The Future of Lunar Living
As we dream about settling the Moon, we have to consider all the essentials for long-term survival: sunlight for energy, protection from radiation, stable building materials, and maybe even some Moon caves for extra security. The European Space Agency is already talking about building an entire Moon village—an ambitious project that could be a reality by 2030.
But what kind of house should you build on the Moon? NASA recommends about 20 cubic meters of space per person. That’s roughly the size of a small shipping container—not exactly spacious, but enough to live in for months or even years at a time. Living on the Moon will be cramped, but we’ve seen similar experiments on Earth, where small groups of people simulate life in isolation, whether in the desert or Antarctica.
In fact, preparing for life on the Moon is almost like preparing for a permanent camping trip—albeit one where the campfire is replaced by solar panels, and the tent by a lunar concrete dome.
Why Build on the Moon?
All this raises a final question: why bother with a Moon base at all? The costs are astronomical (pun intended), the risks are high, and yet the idea is captivating. Perhaps it’s human nature to explore, to push boundaries, and to settle in new, uncharted territories. A base on the Moon could be a stepping stone to deeper space exploration—Mars, or even beyond. It could teach us how to live sustainably off-planet, or help us discover resources that could fuel our future.
Or maybe, it’s simply because we can’t resist the allure of the unknown. After all, there’s nothing quite like the thought of sipping Moon-water cocktails while watching Earth rise in the distance. And who wouldn’t want to say they’re the first to throw a housewarming party on the Moon? Ready to RSVP?
