Moon colonization faces major hurdle due to limited water ice

A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Space Technology suggests that limited water ice reserves may prevent the establishment of large-scale permanent cities on the Moon. Conducted by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), the research titled ‘No Cities on the Moon’ examines the energy and water requirements for large populations.

Lead astrophysicist Martin Elvis noted that a city of one million people, assuming an average consumption of 500 tons of water per person, would exhaust lunar water supplies in just a few years. While advanced recycling systems—similar to the 98 percent efficiency seen on the International Space Station—could extend survival, a million-person settlement might only last about a hundred years under such conditions.

The study suggests that for a lunar settlement to be truly sustainable over the long term, the population would likely need to be limited to approximately 1,000 people.