China could be the first nation to establish a lunar base. China has plans to land humans on the moon and establish a permanent base at the lunar south pole by the end of this decade. They want to start building a lunar base using soil from the moon in five years. 

NASA’s Office of Exploration conducted a comprehensive moonbase study in 1992 called the “First Lunar Outpost” (FLO). FLO was intended as a benchmark “reference mission” against which competing proposals and alternative strategies could be measured. 

NASA’s associate administrator Jim Free said that they’re starting to look at adding permanent habitations on the surface for Artemis missions 7 onwards. Artemis 3, the first planned landing, won’t happen until later this decade, so habitat building wouldn’t start before the 2030s.

Though the capabilities are yet to be matched with great powers like the United States, it is to be noted that China single-handedly built its space station and has been successful in its operations

There are no bases of any kind on the moon. Missions to the moon have only resulted in temporary single-mission bases and some small permanent installations. The first temporary base was Tranquility Base, where humans first landed and walked on the moon in July 1969. 

The Outer Space Treaty (OST) signed in 1967 by the USSR and the US prohibits the use of the moon for anything other than peaceful purposes. This ruled out the idea of a military base on the moon

NASA’s Artemis program aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon.The program includes building a permanent base on the moon’s surface called Artemis Base Camp. The base will allow astronauts to stay on the moon for days or weeks, collecting samples and data. 

NASA is also building a small space station called Gateway that will orbit the moon. Gateway will provide support for lunar surface missions, and serve as a destination for science and a staging point for deep space exploration. 

NASA’s Artemis program also includes: 

• Sending astronauts to the moon to conduct scientific research 
• Testing new technologies 
• Laying the foundation for a future lunar colony 

NASA’s goal is to return astronauts to the moon by 2025. The first crewed lunar landing is planned for 2025

There are several reasons why we haven’t put a base on the moon: 

• Earth’s gravity: It’s difficult to move heavy equipment from Earth to the moon. 
• Rockets: The Saturn V rocket, which was used to send astronauts to the moon, is no longer produced. 
• Distance: The moon is far away and moves quickly. 
• Environment: The moon’s environment is not as easy to live in as Earth’s. The moon has toxic dust, extreme cold, and radiation. 
• Power: A base would need a power grid, which could be solar powered. However, the base would need to stay operational during periods of darkness that can last two weeks. 
• Cost: The program is expensive and takes a long time. 
• Dependence on Earth: A base would need to become self-sufficient and send exports back to Earth.

There are many reasons to build a permanent base on the moon, including: 

• Space exploration A moon base could be a staging area for manned missions to other planets and areas of the solar system. 
• Mining A moon base could be used to mine rare minerals that are becoming scarce on Earth. 
• Space exploration A moon base could help us learn more about the effects of isolation, disrupted circadian rhythms, and high doses of radiation. 
• Space observation Astronauts could observe deep space without interference from Earth’s radio signals. 
• Lunar history A moon base could help us learn more about the Earth and Moon’s history and geology. 

A moon base could also be a stepping stone to launch missions to Mars and the asteroids.

NASA’s Artemis program has the following planned moon landings: 

• Artemis 2: Crewed launch in 2024 
• Artemis 3: Crewed lunar landing in 2025 
• Artemis 4: Docking with the Lunar Gateway in 2028 
• Future landings: Yearly landings thereafter 

NASA may build multiple moon bases for the Artemis missions. The base could be made up of multiple sites to increase flexibility for landings and scientific exploration. 

China plans to build a moon base using lunar regolith and robot masons. They hope to build the first brick on the moon in 2028.

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