Lunar surface energy infrastructure: from in-situ resource utilization to deep space exploration

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

A staged, milestone-driven development roadmap integrating power-generation, storage, and grid technologies with in-situ resource utilization provides a framework for resilient lunar energy systems supporting habitation and deep-space exploration. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Yuyue Gao; Qi Shi; Lieyun Ding; Yan Zhou; Cheng Zhou; Wenbin Han

doi:10.1038/s44453-026-00053-w

September 2, 2026npj Space ExplorationOpen Access

Lunar surface energy infrastructure: from in-situ resource utilization to deep space exploration

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Key Points

To evaluate power-generation, storage, and distribution technologies for lunar outposts and establish an actionable development roadmap for resilient, resource-enabled lunar surface architectures.
Benchmarked power generation, energy storage, and grid technologies across environmental adaptation, in-situ resource utilization compatibility, and technology readiness metrics.
Conducted a first-order economic cost–benefit assessment of integrated lunar power configurations.
Structured a phased, milestone-driven roadmap for infrastructure deployment.
Identified critical technology trade-offs between environmental survivability and system integration across lunar power generation and storage platforms.
Established a milestone-driven architectural model demonstrating that integrating in-situ resource utilization lowers logistics costs and enhances energy resilience for long-term habitation.

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Implication

Review demonstrates comparative performance and cost-benefit trade-offs of lunar energy architectures, highlighting a milestone roadmap for in-situ resource-enabled deep space infrastructure.

Abstract

Sustainable, high-power energy infrastructure is essential for lunar bases yet must withstand the Moon’s extreme environment. This review compares power-generation, storage, and grid technologies across performance, environmental adaptation, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) compatibility, and technology readiness; adds a first-order economic cost–benefit analysis of integrated architectures; and proposes a staged, milestone-driven development roadmap. Together, these provide a framework for resilient, ISRU-enabled lunar energy systems supporting habitation and deep-space exploration.

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Gao et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9a85b05d9e33f25c6310a0 https://doi.org/10.1038/s44453-026-00053-w

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Lunar surface energy infrastructure: from in-situ resource utilization to deep space exploration

Key Points

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Cite This Study

Lunar surface energy infrastructure: from in-situ resource utilization to deep space exploration

Key Points

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Implication

Abstract

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Cite This Study

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