{
  "id": 7334999,
  "title": "Moon’s water reserves insufficient to sustain a lunar city, astronomers find",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/moons-water-reserves-insufficient-to-sustain-a-lunar-city-astronomers",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-14T14:00:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Physics World",
    "slug": "physics-world",
    "url": "https://physicsworld.com/a/moons-water-reserves-insufficient-to-sustain-a-lunar-city-astronomers-find/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recent findings by astronomers Martin Elvis and Jonathan McDowell from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory suggest that the Moon's water reserves may not be sufficient to support a large lunar city. The pair analyzed the resources required for cities of various population sizes, focusing on power generation and water consumption.\n\nFor electricity, the researchers believe that generating 3 GW of power using kilometre-tall towers covered with photovoltaic arrays would be feasible. Additionally, the Moon's abundance of silicon on its surface makes it possible to manufacture solar panels on-site. However, water requirements pose a significant challenge. Although water ice is known to exist in the Moon's poles, it is estimated that there may be up to a billion tonnes of water available.\n\nAssuming this amount of water, a city of a million inhabitants would only last a few years without any recycling. A population of 100,000 would survive for 20 years. Even with an efficient recycling system, comparable to that on the International Space Station, a city of a million people would have only enough water for around a century. To sustain a lunar city of such size, the authors argue that water recycling efficiencies would need to exceed 99.5%, water usage must be reduced through vertical farming, or more water must be discovered on the Moon.\n\nGiven these findings, the possibility of sustaining a larger lunar city appears dim in the near future. However, the authors suggest that smaller lunar villages, with around 10,000 inhabitants, may be sustainable for several centuries.",
  "summary": "While energy usage could be met, water would cause some issues The post Moon’s water reserves insufficient to sustain a lunar city, astronomers find appeared first on Physics World .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}