Who will win the new race to the moon?
Space agencies and private companies are eager to bring humans – and their plans for development – to the next frontier.
Fifty years after the United States put the first man on the moon, space agencies and private companies around the world are now setting their sights towards a renewed era of lunar exploration. In January, China became the first nation to successfully send a lunar probe to study the far side of the moon. The US space agency NASA announced last week its accelerated timeline to build the first lunar orbit outpost, and put the first woman on the moon by 2024. And by September, India is planning to have its own rover and lander examining the moon’s southern pole.
Some groups see a future where the moon is used as another platform for the scientific research, international cooperation and launch point for further space exploration. But how will those goals be impacted by opportunities for mining minerals, water and potential sources of energy?
In this episode, a look at what’s behind the renewed momentum in bringing humans back to the moon?
On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:
Ryan Watkins @Ryan_N_Watkins
Research scientist, Planetary Science Institute
ryanwatkins.webs.com
Bernard Foing @ESA
Senior scientist, ESA
esa.int/ESA
Robin Seemangal @nova_road
Director of content, Supercluster
supercluster.com
Read more:
The race to develop the moon – The New Yorker