The Cold War-style geopolitical race to conquer space appears to be underway as more countries compete for access to the moon and its natural resources, terrain that appears increasingly strategic. Thanks to technological advances and the increasing number of missions, it is expected that this new challenge will be faced The United States and its partners with China and Russia, have significant impacts. In this battle for space supremacy, the effective use of lunar resources is expected to bring important economic and strategic advantages to the victorious powers.
In 2023, the world was there a new, highly competitive space race in which several of the world's leading nations have taken part. It is the second time in history that different countries are competing to reach the moon, following the historic rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union that began in the late 1950s. However, the comparison with the 1960s has its limits. , because this time the goal is not only to touch the lunar surface and return to Earth, but also to promote long-term scientific development.
“Fly Me to the Moon,” sang Frank Sinatra in 1964 in his world-famous performance of the song Bart Howard. Four years later, in the early hours of December 21, 1968, three astronauts boarded a tiny capsule of the most powerful rocket ever built. They were preparing for the riskiest and most dangerous mission in the history of exploration: a journey from Earth to the Moon. If he succeeded, they would fulfill an ambition that has always captured human imagination. If they failed, EThe United States would be forced to cede technological dominance to the Soviet Union in the midst of the Cold War. The three men formed the Apollo 8 crew, the first manned mission to the moon.
It was the USA's revenge on the Soviets, who had sent a machine into space sputnikalready a man, Gagarin, long before North America. After four years of conquering the Moon, the Apollo program was abandoned because it was too expensive and risky (the Apollo 13 mission cost almost the lives of the entire crew).
Currently, the goal is for new countries to be added to the list of powers capable of conquering the Moon and show who has the most advanced technologies to explore and even exploit the resources of Earth's natural satellite. The establishment of permanent bases is also one of the core topics: These could make access to the planet Mars easier in the future.
There are four nations that have already managed to land on the lunar surface at least once: USA, Russia (former Soviet Union), China and India. Contenders for this very exclusive club include South Korea and Japan, which have launched their own missions and appear to have the potential to achieve their ambitious goals. A privileged club where former members have not said their last word, repeating past achievements and reaffirming their leadership in the field.
Actually, Japan could soon join the select group of countries that have landed on the moon. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced its intention for the SLIM (“Smart Lander for Investigating Moon”) robotic spacecraft to land on the Moon for the first time on January 19.
Returning to the moon is not just a bet. It also offers nations opportunities for international cooperation, while more than 20 countries have announced plans for expeditions. As the United States benefits from trade advances, it also collaborates with international partners. Europe, Japan and Canada have already joined the Americans in the Lunar Gateway project, a space station that will orbit the moon and whose first modules will be launched in 2025.
Additionally, Washington asks for international support for the Artemis Accords, a set of principles for responsible lunar exploration and development. As of July this year, 27 countries had signed the agreements. This includes not only close allies such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan, but also less traditional partners such as Rwanda, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. Furthermore, India's signing of the agreements in June 2023 was seen as a sign of strengthening bilateral relations.
It should be noted that the Chinese lunar program also emphasizes international participation. In 2021, the Asian giant announced plans to develop the International Lunar Research Station in collaboration with Russiaand has also invited other countries to join. Sweden, France, Italy, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates will take part in their next lunar landing mission.
Space mining will be one of the main focuses of commercial space activities in the coming decades. There is the possibility of extracting oxygen and hydrogen from the lunar ice to produce rocket fuel and maintain human-inhabited bases. In addition, near-Earth asteroids have water sources and contain valuable mineral resources such as carbon, nickel-iron alloys and platinum group metals. This will prove valuable as efforts intensify to look beyond the scarcity of Earth's non-renewable resources to the impending reality of climate change.
Also There are countries that want to purchase helium-3. Theoretically it can be used to create nuclear fusion, the Holy Grail of energy production, because it would produce larger amounts of it than nuclear fission, but it is much less radioactive. On Earth, only 0.0001% of helium is helium-3, but on the Moon it can be a million tons.
Experts believe it will take decades for many activities, such as Mineral extraction or solar energy production on the moon, Generate benefits. Meanwhile, government space programs can leverage commercial innovations to reduce costs, drive innovation, and accelerate their programs. And some commercial activities, such as Lunar tourism could be profitable in the near future. In fact, SpaceX has already sold a trip to the moon, scheduled to launch in 2024.