The scientific importance of the lunar environment

Many plans are in preparation to land robotic missions on the surface of the Moon, which will pave the way to return humans to the lunar surface and set the stage for an ongoing human presence. Artemis is a NASA-led international effort to return humans to the Moon. One of the goals of Artemis is to use innovative technologies to address priority science objectives. At the same time, the European Space Agency (ESA) is exploring designs for a Moon base to enable ongoing human activity on the lunar surface. Furthermore, China plans to land humans on the Moon by 2030. In situ resource utilization (ISRU)-the extraction of useful materials from the Moon itself-will be beneficial for efforts to sustain a human presence. ISRU could provide water that can be used by astronauts or split into hydrogen and oxygen rocket fuel for returning to Earth or moving onward to Mars, along with other vital resources. Although this possibility is exciting, it is critical that we recognize how human and robotic activity will affect the lunar environment. Not having a global strategy to characterize lunar volatile materials before their scientific value is lost will substantially degrade the Moon's scientific potential.