As we move closer to supporting a sustainable human presence on the moon, researchers are investigating how its soils can provide valuable resources and even grow food. An article in the Soil Science Society of America Journal proposes a classification framework to help scientists better understand lunar soils. This emerging science of “planetary pedology,” the study and classification of soils beyond Earth, could help future missions select the best sites for construction, resource extraction and potential cultivation, thereby supporting long-term, sustainable human settlement on the moon.