Lunar South Pole Oxygen Pipeline (LSPoP)
A NASA-funded study of a pipeline that would carry oxygen gas across the Moon's south pole from where it is produced to a future base, possibly built from metal made on the Moon.
Why it matters
Oxygen will be made where the raw material is, which may be far from a base. Lunar Resources estimates that hauling the gas in tanks on rovers would take more energy than extracting it, so a pipe could be the cheaper option.
How the technology works
The study, run with engineering firm Wood under NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts program, looked at the full system design and whether pipe and other parts could be made on the Moon from metals extracted from local soil.
Sources
Updated Oct 21, 2026 · How we source facts · Suggest a correction