Moon lacks enough water for large cities, scientists find

A new study finds the moon lacks sufficient water to sustain a large city, challenging ambitious settlement plans. Even with trillions of pounds of water trapped in glass beads, a million-person city would exhaust supplies within 2.5 years without recycling. The research, published in Frontiers in Space Technologies, calculated water needs for drinking, hygiene, food, fuel, and breathing. With 98% recycling like the ISS, that city could last 100 years, but a 100,000-person town could survive 1,000 years, deemed sustainable. Scientists suggest a small outpost of 1,000 people is realistic within 30 years, though importing water from asteroids or Saturn's moons may be needed long-term. Experts urge international regulations to prevent a "gold rush" depleting this scientifically valuable resource.