Scientists: Cities won’t survive on the moon — there isn’t enough water

Lunar cities may not be sustainable long-term due to limited water supplies, according to a study published in Frontiers in Space Technologies, reported by CNN.

Harvard astrophysicist Martin Elvis and colleague Jonathan McDowell found that even a generous estimate of 1 billion tons of water would sustain a city of 1 million people for under two and a half years without recycling, or 100 years with ISS-level water recovery.

A smaller settlement of 100,000 people could last 1,000 years, while a town of 10,000 could survive 10,000 years. The findings challenge Elon Musk’s proposal for SpaceX to build a “self-growing” lunar city within a decade. Researchers say imported water and international regulation will be necessary to prevent resource depletion.