NASA Calls for Proposals to Accelerate Lunar Surface Technologies

Space Explainer: The Moon, Then and Now

The Moon is the only body beyond Earth humans have physically visited, across six Apollo landings between 1969 and 1972. After decades of mostly robotic exploration, it's now the focus of a renewed international effort — led by NASA's Artemis program — aimed at establishing a longer-term human presence, partly as a stepping stone toward Mars.

Interest has also grown around the Moon's permanently shadowed polar craters, which are cold enough to trap water ice. That ice is a major target for future missions, since it could in theory be split into drinking water, breathable oxygen, and rocket fuel without needing to ship it from Earth.