The committee of the US Senate decided, that NASA should build a base on the moon. In the document, which is still prepared for consideration, the time frame for achieving this goal is marked as “as soon as possible, as possible". However, it is about that, that already in 2028 year, astronauts are supposed to step on the surface of the satellite, and in 2030 there should be already the first module there. American government officials are rushing because of growing concern that, that their country may lose its leadership, losing the moon race to the Russians or Chinese, which also have schoolaboutto the program.
The construction of a base on the moon will become a reality, if parliamentarians pass the NASA Authorization Act in 2026 year. This document prioritizes funding for some space programs and requires the space agency to meet its goals. Among them is a program for the development of the Moon.
To date, the management of NASA still has not finally decided even on the place and the basic concept of construction. The main idea is that, to build an outpost near the south pole of the moon. This will solve the main problem: alternation 14 days of light and 14 days of darkness, which challenges the ability to use solar panels for power. At the South Pole, due to the tilt of the axis of rotation, there are many more sunny days in the cycle. However, there is a second one, an equally important factor: water ice may be hiding at the bottom of some large craters, which is critically important for the functioning of the base. That is why it is proposed to build a base either near the Shackleton crater, or on Mount Mouton. Some also suggest looking closer to the equator of the American satellite instead of the south pole. The craters there will provide better protection against radiation and meteorites, however, there is practically no water in them.
Source: https://universemagazine.com