Why are we going back to the moon? - BBC World Service

Key Concepts

• Space Race (Historical & Current): Competition between nations (originally US & USSR, now US & China) for dominance in space exploration.
• Artemis Program: NASA’s multi-stage project to return humans to the moon, aiming for a sustainable lunar presence.
• International Lunar Research Station (ILRS): China-led initiative for establishing a permanent base on the moon, with Russian collaboration.
• Lunar Resources: Specifically, water ice at the lunar south pole, and potential for Helium-3 extraction.
• Geopolitical Implications: The connection between space exploration and global power dynamics.
• Space Launch System (SLS): NASA’s new heavy-lift rocket designed for lunar missions.
• Artemis Accords: A set of principles guiding international cooperation in space exploration, led by the US.

The New Space Race: A Return to the Moon and Beyond

This discussion centers on the renewed global competition to return to the moon, contrasting it with the original Space Race of the 1960s and outlining the motivations, strategies, and potential outcomes of this new era of lunar exploration. The video highlights the shift from a purely symbolic race to demonstrate technological superiority to a more sustained effort focused on establishing a long-term presence and utilizing lunar resources.

Historical Context: The First Space Race

The initial Space Race, primarily between the United States and the Soviet Union, was fundamentally a demonstration of technological and ideological dominance during the Cold War. The USSR achieved early milestones – launching the first satellite (Sputnik), animal (Laika), and human (Yuri Gagarin) into orbit. However, the US “won” the race by landing the first humans on the moon in 1969, with Neil Armstrong’s famous quote, “That’s one small step for man.” By 1972, twelve US astronauts had walked on the lunar surface.

The program was halted in 1972 due to its immense cost – billions of dollars – and President Nixon’s assessment that the US had already achieved its primary goal of defeating the Soviet Union. Focus then shifted to satellite technology and the International Space Station.

The Resurgence of Lunar Exploration: Why Now?

The video explains that the current drive to return to the moon is largely fueled by China’s growing space program. In 2006, China’s chief scientist stated that lunar exploration was “a reflection of a country’s power,” and in 2013, China successfully landed an unmanned craft on the moon – the first such landing since the 1970s. This prompted the US to re-evaluate its space strategy. As stated by an American official, “We cannot lose the moon and lose the race to the moon, to China. If we fall behind…we may never catch up.”

The US response is the Artemis program, a multi-stage project aiming for a sustainable lunar presence. The first unmanned orbit of the moon was completed in 2022, with plans for astronauts to orbit the moon again in the near future, and a potential landing in 2027 at the earliest.

Artemis Program & China’s Lunar Ambitions: Contrasting Approaches

The Artemis program is characterized by a phased approach: unmanned orbit, manned orbit, and finally, a surface landing. The program utilizes the new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and relies on private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin for landing technology, aiming to reduce costs. However, the video notes that the program’s complexity and reliance on multiple partners have led to delays.

China, on the other hand, aims to land humans on the moon by 2030 and presents its ambitions as a pursuit of space power, as articulated by President Xi Jinping. China is leading the development of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), with Russia as a key collaborator and participation from approximately ten other nations.

International Cooperation and Competition

The video highlights a bifurcated international landscape. The US champions the Artemis Accords, a set of principles for responsible space exploration signed by around 60 nations, including India. China leads the ILRS, with Russia as a major partner. Both programs envision establishing permanent bases on the moon, and the first to achieve this could gain significant strategic advantages. The analogy is drawn that establishing a presence first grants a degree of control over access to lunar resources for other nations.

The Allure of Lunar Resources

A key driver of the renewed interest in the moon is the potential for resource extraction. The lunar south pole is particularly attractive due to the presence of frozen water in deep craters. This water is crucial for sustaining human life (drinking water, oxygen for breathing) and can be separated into hydrogen and oxygen for use as rocket fuel, facilitating future space missions.

The moon also contains Helium-3, a rare isotope on Earth that could potentially power nuclear fusion reactors. However, the video cautions that extracting Helium-3 would be incredibly expensive and technologically challenging, requiring significant infrastructure and processing capabilities on the moon.

Risk, Sustainability, and the Future of Space Exploration

The video acknowledges that space exploration is inherently risky, noting that the Apollo astronauts were “very lucky.” Modern safety concerns contribute to the slower pace of the current space race compared to the 1960s.

The ultimate goal, according to the video, is not simply to revisit the moon but to establish a sustainable infrastructure for future missions, including a potential mission to Mars. The moon is envisioned as a “base of infrastructure, human ingenuity, where you actually utilise lunar resources to build your capacity.” The current space race is described as being about “activity” – a continuous connection of activities building long-term capacity – rather than just singular “missions.”

Key Terms & Definitions

• Geopolitical: Relating to the political factors that influence international relations.
• Superpower: A nation with the ability to project its power and influence globally.
• Satellite: An artificial object placed in orbit around the Earth or another celestial body.
• Heavy-lift Rocket: A rocket capable of carrying extremely large payloads into space.
• Nuclear Fusion: A nuclear reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei combine to form a single heavier nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy.
• Isotope: A variant of a chemical element having a different number of neutrons.
• Sustainable: Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level.
• Infrastructure: The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.