NASA Taking First Steps to Colonizing the Moon

NASA may use the huge cavernous craters on the moon's surface to build colonies inhabited by humans.

The space agency is receiving funds to research the possibility of human colonization after robots are used to build a structure that would be habitable, Popular Science is reporting.

The Shackleton Crater, which is twice as big as Washington, D.C., is the proposed spot for the lunar colony.

NASA would use a rover droid to build solar reflectors to send light to the inside of craters, which would then use solar-powered transformers to make robots and equipment functional as well as make it a place where humans could live.

The Shackleton Crater is 130 square miles, with cliffs that soar 14,000 feet high on all sides. But the temperature is -280 degrees Fahrenheit without sunlight. It is unique because water has been found there, which is part of the appeal for human habitation.

The space agency was given $500,000 by NASA's Phase II funding. The first task is creating a reflector that would be workable around the surface of the crater.

Related Stories:

• Strawberry Moon, Rose Moon, Honey Moon All in Full Bloom
• Pluto and Charon Shock NASA Scientists With the Unexpected