Our Moon: Our Home?
- RRHS ScienceNHS
- Dec 17, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 8
By: Josiah Sadnick-
Our first experience encountering the moon was on Apollo 11. Buzz Aldrin was the first man to walk on the moon and the rest is history. 3 years later, Apollo 17 was not only the longest mission on the moon, but also the last time people had been on the moon. Colonizing the moon is currently more of an idea than a possibility. However, colonizing the moon is becoming more of a possibility by the day because of advancements by NASA.
Colonizing the moon poses significant challenges related to our basic needs. While space exploration has been achieved, permanent colonization poses entirely different challenges. Earlier Apollo missions were only for a few days meaning only rations for a few days were needed. But, colonization would require permanent resources. The moon doesn’t have enough resources to be able to fully supply humans for such a long period. In 2018, NASAs Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration team used a high-powered laser to separate oxygen from the moon’s lunar soil. So, humans can breathe in the moon’s atmosphere. Oxygen supplies are plentiful. but hydrogen is lacking on the moon. This lack of hydrogen limits the creation of water. Lastly, creating food isn’t possible because the moon doesn’t have as rich of a soil as the Earth does.
Nonessential needs are also limited, but are going in the right direction. Lunar soil has been an essential roadblock to colonizing the moon in a variety of ways including power. A team led by Felix Lang, a professor from the University of Potsdam, simulated moon powered solar power. By melting lunar regolith(lunar soil) into moon glass, his team was able to create the covers of solar cells. These cells are powered by an earth element- perovskite. But, the moon has 14 day long nights eliminating the possibility of constant power. The moon’s atmosphere is also far weaker compared to earths, leaving limited protection against dangers such as space radiation. Scientists have invented prototypes of creating an atmosphere resembling Earth by using lunar soil but still have to test and verify the validity of their design.
Space colonization is becoming more of a possibility as technology evolves. But, human needs are still currently unmet despite attempts to remedy this problem. Fortunately, nonessential needs are far less of a problem.
Links to learn more:
About Where We are-
About lasers used to create oxygen- https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/nasa-successfully-extracts-oxygen-from-lunar-soil-simulant
About our moons atmosphere-
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