Heating and cooling space habitats isn't easy -- one engineering team is developing a lighter, more efficient solution

It's hard to keep a spacecraft cool, but ongoing research on the International Space Station might yield a solution. AP Photo/Eric Gay

China, India and the U.S. have all achieved landing on the Moon in the 2020s.

Once there, their eventual goal is to set up a base. But a successful base – along with the spacecraft that will carry people to it – must be habitable for humans. And a big part of creating a habitable base is making sure the heating and cooling systems work.