Concept renders for Artemis Base Camp by French scientific illustrator Pierre Carril, commissioned by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2019. The concept depicts Artemis Base Camp having dome-shaped human habitats covered with a layer of lunar regolith for radiation and impact protection, interconnected transparent geodesic domes housing hydroponic gardens for food and oxygen generation, and vast deployable solar arrays capturing near-constant sunlight at the lunar south polar region to power the outpost. Astronauts in ESA-marked spacesuits oversee robotic construction rovers building the lunar base.

NASA's international Artemis Base Camp, with ESA as a major partner, is a planned long-term outpost on the lunar south pole, envisioned as the cornerstone of sustainable human exploration under the Artemis program, with establishment targeted for the 2030s. Situated near craters like Shackleton for access to water ice in permanently shadowed regions and areas of near-continuous sunlight for solar power, the initial base would include a fixed Foundation Surface Habitat to accommodate up to four astronauts for stays of one to two months, a pressurized rover for extended surface traverses, an unpressurized Lunar Terrain Vehicle for mobility, power systems (including potential nuclear options), in-situ resource utilization for producing essentials like oxygen and propellant from lunar regolith, and supporting infrastructure for scientific research and technology testing to pave the way for Mars missions. As of early 2026, with Artemis II crewed preparations advancing toward a March launch, the concept remains NASA's blueprint for transitioning from short landings to permanent lunar presence.

A competing project – International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) – is being developed under Chinese leadership and targets the lunar south pole region in the 2030s, starting robotic before permanent habitability post-2035 and full expansion by ~2050.