**1. Introduction**

The Moon is a satellite of the Earth; therefore, it is the body closest to our planet. After the Sun, the Moon exerts the second greatest impact on the Earth. For these reasons, the Moon will occupy the first place in the future exploration of space.

Since the Moon always faces the Earth from one side, its main motion is orbital. Therefore, all the features of this motion are of interest, including its evolution over long time intervals. The first part of this chapter is devoted to this problem.

In the second part, prospects for further space research are considered. More than half a century of experience in this research has shown that the effectiveness of studies strongly depends on the resource base invoked for performing the studies. Of the celestial bodies, the Moon is the body most suitable for creating a base on it. The chapter discusses a wide range of issues related to the feasibility of creating such a base, its structure, functioning, and prospects for research on it.
