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The Lunar South Pole Region: NASA reference page

Page: https://www.nasa.gov/reference/moonbase-environment/, "Updated Sep 28, 2026". Fetched 2026-10-01T06:23:44Z. File: sources/moon-base/nasa-gov-reference-moonbase-environment.md.

Summary. This is NASA's public description of the Moon Base site environment. It covers four themes:

  • light and shadow (and the thermal extremes that follow from them)
  • water ice and other frozen materials in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs)
  • rugged terrain
  • lunar dust

For each theme it says what Moon Base systems must cope with. It is the fullest web statement of the environment that drives the Moon Base's technology and data gaps.

Key points

  • Light and shadow ("Light and Shadow"): "the Sun stays low on the horizon". Some areas get "extended periods of sunlight", while "in permanently shadowed regions, sunlight may never reach the surface at all". PSRs can reach "about minus 334°F (minus 203°C)". Planners "will also need to consider how habitats, power systems, and other structures cast shadows".
  • Volatiles ("Water Ice and Other Frozen Materials"): the distribution of ice "is complex and not every shadowed area contains the same materials or concentrations". Better knowledge of abundance and distribution "will be essential" before use for exploration can be judged.
  • Terrain ("Rugged Terrain"): "Steep slopes, ridges, deep craters, rocks, and dramatic changes in elevation". Terrain constrains landing, infrastructure placement and movement. Mapping, robotic exploration and autonomous navigation are named as the response.
  • Dust ("Lunar Dust"): dust "can work its way into mechanisms and seals, obscure optical surfaces, and reduce the performance of systems such as radiators and solar arrays". Systems must "limit how much dust is disturbed, protect sensitive equipment, remove dust where possible, and remain resilient when some exposure is unavoidable".

Environment · Moon Base hub · Technology and knowledge challenges