Can humans live on the moon?

According to research done by the University of Colorado Boulder, living on The Moon could be a reality, using lunar caves as subterranean habitats. This scientific research has shown that various lunar caves have more stable environmental conditions than the lunar surface, this space features make possible its use for future human colonization.
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​Considering that beneath the surface of The Moon are located a large number of caves, wells, and lava tubes, the research aimed to analyze these underground sites, obtaining terrific results.

Researchers have determined that some of these spaces have a stable temperature compared to the lunar surface, where thermal variations of 270° C; meanwhile, temperatures detected in underground caves can vary 50° C from day to midnight.

​​According to Andrew Wilcoski, co-author of this research and graduate student in the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences at CU Boulder, it is crucial to define these environmental conditions, "If we expect to send people to these caves in the coming decades, we want to know that they should wait there"

How was this data obtained? 

This data was obtained from computer simulations, which detected temperatures in hypothetical caves of various sizes, all during a full day on The Moon. In addition to this, these caves can protect humans from dangerous solar radiation and be rich in natural resources.

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​In the wake of this research, even though temperatures are somewhat extreme, it is still more stable than the lunar surface; likewise establishing that most of the simulated caves are experienced extreme temperatures, having maximum peaks of -70° C and minimum peaks of -120° C at night.

In addition, this research has provided knowledge in the study and location of cold traps, lunar sites where frozen water has been stored, warning that caves with lower latitudes could not contain ice disposals, as the temperatures are too hot.

Additionally, Paul Hayner, the Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics of CU Boulder assistant professor, puts on the table the possibility of establishing a base station inside a well or lunar cave near a cold trap: "Astronauts could then venture out when conditions were right for collecting ice-rich soil"

Today, space agencies continue to examine the possibility of creating crater stations within The Moon’s South Pole-Aitken Basin. Nevertheless, if demand for habitats increases, the establishment of bases in caves and wells places would become one of the most feasible options.