Overview
This work focuses on how a lunar spaceport site is selected when balancing operational constraints with resource access, especially for sustained south-polar operations.
Site selection criteria
Site selection is driven by a small set of coupled criteria that constrain layout, power, mobility, communications, and long-term reliability.
- Power and illumination as a near-term feasibility driver.
- Landing safety: terrain, slopes, hazards, approach constraints.
- Communications: line of sight and relay constraints.
- Thermal environment: cold traps and hardware survivability.
- Logistics: mobility, transport paths, and maintainability.
Why the South Pole
The lunar south polar region is attractive for extended illumination on elevated terrain and proximity to permanently shadowed regions where volatiles may be present. This creates a strong coupling between power availability and resource access.
Candidate site
A representative candidate site (for example, a south polar rim location) is evaluated to illustrate how small changes in topography and illumination can cascade into spaceport layout and operations.
- Elevated terrain improves illumination and power continuity.
- Nearby shadowed regions may enable volatile prospecting and ISRU demonstration.
- Topography can support shielding and separation between landing and long-term assets.
Resources and ISRU context
The core resource driver is the potential presence of water ice in cold traps. Water-derived oxygen and hydrogen can reduce Earth logistics dependency and enable scalable surface operations.
However, extraction feasibility depends on the real distribution, form, and accessibility of deposits, which requires structured prospecting and in-situ characterization.
Environmental challenges
The dominant operational risks come from the lunar environment. Regolith dust is abrasive and electrostatically adhesive, and plume ejecta from repeated landings can impact nearby hardware. Thermal extremes and shadowed-region conditions further constrain mobility and power.
Prospecting and surveys
Early infrastructure choices depend on reducing unknowns through targeted surveys. High-resolution mapping and subsurface characterization support safer landing zones and more robust foundations.
- Topography and regolith properties mapping for siting and construction decisions.
- Subsurface characterization to inform foundation and excavation approaches.
- Resource prospecting to constrain ISRU architecture choices.
Key takeaways
- Power is the first-order driver shaping site feasibility.
- Resource access motivates south-polar proximity to shadowed regions, but increases operational complexity.
- Dust requires integrated mitigation at the architecture level, not a single component fix.
- Prospecting reduces risk and prevents over-design by constraining unknowns early.