POLAR:IS is a lunar exploration project focused on enabling a sustainable human presence at the Moon’s pole, one of the most promising regions for future lunar bases. This area offers unique environmental conditions that make it especially valuable for long-term missions.

At the lunar poles, the rims of certain craters receive near-continuous sunlight, while the floors of nearby craters remain in permanent darkness. This creates an extreme and constant temperature difference between illuminated and shadowed areas. Rather than seeing this contrast as a challenge, POLAR:IS aims to turn it into an opportunity.

The project explores the possibility of generating continuous electrical power using thermodynamic cycles operating between the hot sunlit zones and the cold shadowed regions. By exploiting this natural thermal gradient, the system could produce energy independently of traditional solar panels, potentially complementing or even replacing them, especially during critical mission phases.

POLAR:IS combines scientific research and technological innovation to evaluate how effective and reliable these lunar power systems could be. The ultimate goal is to support future long-term human habitation on the Moon, providing a stable and sustainable energy solution in one of the harshest environments ever explored.