Through the Artemis Program, NASA will send the first astronauts to the moon since the Apollo Era before 2030. They will be joined by multiple space agencies, such as the ESA and China, who plan to send astronauts (and "taikonauts") there for the first time. Beyond this, all plan to build permanent habitats in the South Pole–Aitken Basin and the necessary infrastructure that will lead to a permanent human presence. This presents many challenges, the most notable being those arising from the nature of the lunar environment.
