Lunar water could support a permanent human presence. And, if there is potential rocket fuel, the moon could be a refuelling stop and gateway for deeper space exploration.
Russia, once the globe’s foremost space power, sent an uncrewed mission to the moon and aimed to land on August 19.. India’s moon mission, also uncrewed, lined up to land on the lunar surface four days later. It touched down successfully. The Indian moon lander released a small, six-wheeled rover which is now searching for frozen water, among other things, as a dozen nations seek ways to set up permanent lunar bases.Russia’s humiliation was India’s jubilation.
One of the most important figures in the Soviet space program, Mikhail Marov, said he was so shocked at the crash that he had to be hospitalised. “For me, perhaps, it was the last hope to see the revival of our lunar program,” said the 90-year-old.By contrast, the Indian performance was impressive for three reasons, says the head of the five-year-old Australian Space Agency, Enrico Palermo, formerly chief operating officer for Virgin Galactic.
If so, lunar water could support a permanent human presence, either as drinking water or broken down into oxygen for breathing and hydrogen for rocket fuel. And, if there is potential rocket fuel, the moon could be like an interplanetary petrol station, a refuelling stop and gateway for deeper space exploration.
China’s advances also galvanised the US back into the lunar realm. In 2019, China became the first nation to land a craft on the dark side of the moon. The US, preoccupied with Mars, abruptly refocused on the moon. It’s planning to spend $US93 billion on its Artemis program to put astronauts on the moon by 2025. It would be the first time since 1972. China has announced plans to put taikonauts on the moon by 2030.
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