Artemis Moon Base: Micrometeoroid threat deemed manageable with proven shielding
A study using NASA’s MEM3 model, adapted for a Moon base the size of the Artemis habitat, finds that micrometeoroids—tiny fast-moving rocks—are unlikely to penetrate a modern Whipple shield, especially at the lunar south pole. Equatorial sites opposite Earth would face about 23,000 impacts per year, while the south pole would see roughly 15,000, thanks to Earth’s gravity focusing more meteoroids toward the equator. The critical mass needed to breach the shield is about 0.07 g, and 99.9997% of micrometeoroids are smaller than this, meaning a penetrating hit would occur about once every 42 years. These results support the feasibility of a sustained lunar base in the 2030s, given appropriate shielding and site selection.
