Japan not too long ago grew to become the fifth nation to efficiently complete a gentle touchdown on the moon’s floor, becoming a member of a choose few international locations — the U.S., Russia, China and India — in undertaking this feat. But moon landings are doubtless to develop into extra widespread over the subsequent few years. Globally, greater than 100 lunar missions, each by non-public corporations and by governments, are anticipated to happen by 2030, in accordance to the European Space Agency.
So why are all these international locations keen to get again to the moon?
“The moon is a proving floor,” stated Michelle Hanlon, government director at the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi. “Humanity wants to get to the moon so as to learn the way to reside in area, so as to learn the way to make the most of the sources of area. And that is actually the stepping stone to all of the huge riches in the universe.”
Some of the riches that these international locations and corporations search embody rare-earth metals and the isotope helium-3, which, whereas uncommon on Earth, is ample on the moon and might theoretically be used to energy nuclear fusion reactors.
“We have not discovered fairly how to do it but. There’s a lot of theories about it. But, as soon as we determine that out, the helium-3 on the moon might critically energy the Earth, the complete Earth, for hundreds of years,” Hanlon stated.
And then there is the presence of one other very important pure useful resource that international locations are after: water. Aside from being essential for human survival, water can be utilized to make rocket gas, which means the moon might sooner or later develop into a refueling station for rockets and a springboard for deeper area exploration.
“Whoever will get to set up a vital lunar presence is making a assertion about their political system, about their financial system, about who is forward in the geopolitical competitors,” stated Dean Cheng, senior advisor for the China program at the United States Institute of Peace. “But a second, newer half to this is the perception that there are vital sources on the moon which are helpful to Earth, or helpful for future area flight.”
To discover out extra about the new moon race and why the U.S. and China are at present the leaders, watch the video.