[Chinese team studies the site selection of lunar scientific research stations/bases _ Engineering geological site selection method and suitability evaluation for lunar scientific research stations/bases]
Unlike the previous lunar exploration mission landing site selection, which mainly focused on scientific objectives, landing safety, and earth-moon communications, the site selection of lunar scientific research stations and bases is more complicated, and it is also necessary to consider factors such as engineering geological conditions, long-term human living environment, and in-
situ resource utilization. An interdisciplinary research team composed of researchers Li Shouding, Li Juan, and Yue Zongyu from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and academician Peng Jianbing from China University of Geosciences (Beijing) established a method for engineering geological site selection and a suitability evaluation model for lunar scientific research stations and lunar bases.
The site selection evaluation system covers 12 indicators in three aspects: lunar surface topography, long-term living environment, and in-situ resource utilization.
The research team used 26 successful landing sites and 50 expert pre-selected sites in history as data sets, and used the Certainty Factor method to study the pros and cons of each indicator for landing site selection, and verified the reliability of the site selection model: 77% of the data points are located in medium and high suitability areas, of which more than 60% are in high suitability areas. The landing site selection model works well.
On this basis, the research team further considered the factors of in-situ building materials and exploitable mineral resources, and quantitatively evaluated the suitability of lunar research stations and lunar bases on a full-moon scale: the suitable areas for the construction of lunar research stations are concentrated in the lunar seas near the equator and some sea-land junctions, and some areas at the poles have also reached a high level (Satisfactory); lunar bases that mine ilmenite and thorium and uranium resources are suitable for construction in the southern areas of the Ocean of Storms, the Sea of Tranquility and the Sea of Islands….
As the world sets off a second wave of lunar exploration, countries have successively announced plans to build lunar scientific research stations and lunar bases. Against this background, the site selection of lunar scientific research stations/bases is imminent. Unlike the previous lunar exploration mission landing site selection, which mainly focused on scientific goals, landing safety, and earth-moon communications, the site selection of lunar scientific research stations and bases is more complicated, and it is also necessary to consider engineering geological conditions, long-term human living environment, and in-situ resource utilization.
An interdisciplinary research team consisting of researchers Li Shouding, Li Juan, and Yue Zongyu from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and academician Peng Jianbing from China University of Geosciences (Beijing) have established a method for engineering geological site selection and a suitability evaluation model for lunar research stations and lunar bases. The site selection evaluation system covers 12 indicators in three aspects: lunar surface topography, long-term living environment, and in-situ resource utilization.
The research team used 26 successful landing sites and 50 expert pre-selected sites in history as data sets, and used the Certainty Factor method to study the pros and cons of each indicator for landing site selection, and verified the reliability of the site selection model: 77% of the data points are located in medium and high suitability areas, of which more than 60% are in high suitability areas, and the landing site selection model works well. On this basis, the research team further considered the factors of in-situ building materials and exploitable mineral resources, and quantitatively evaluated the suitability of lunar scientific research stations and lunar bases from a full-moon scale ( Figures 1 and 2 ). The suitable areas for the construction of lunar scientific research stations are concentrated in the lunar seas near the equator and some sea-land junctions, and some areas at the poles have also reached a higher level (Satisfactory); lunar bases that mine ilmenite, thorium, and uranium resources are suitable for construction in the southern areas of the Ocean of Storms, the Sea of Tranquility, and the Sea of Islands.
The research results were published in Engineering Geology , an internationally recognized academic journal in the field of engineering geology . The research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (L2424213, 42230111), the Key R&D Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology (2022YFF0503100), and the Key Deployment Project of the Institute (IGGCAS-202204, 202102, 201904, TEC202302).
Chen Xinshuo, Li Shouding*, Li Juan*, Yue Zongyu, Zhang Zhaobin, Xu Tao, Zheng Bo, Sun Xiukuo, Diao Yiming, He Jianming, Li Xiao, Peng Jianbing, A comprehensive geological engineering site selection for lunar research station and base on a global scale, Engineering Geology, 2025, 355: 108225, DOI: 10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108225
Visuals are from their respectives also from CNSA- China National Space Administration