On Friday, Russia launched its first moon-landing spacecraft in 47 years, amid competition among global nations including the United States, China, and India to learn more about the materials contained on the Earth’s sole natural satellite. Russia stated that it would fly additional lunar missions before considering a joint Russian-China crewed mission and potentially a lunar outpost. NASA has discussed a “lunar gold rush” and the prospect of moon mining.
Why are the big powers so concerned about going to the moon?
The Moon plays a major role in a stable climate and influences the tides in the world’s oceans
The moon, which is 384,400 kilometers (238,855 miles) away, plays a major role in keeping the climate stable. It also influences the tides in the world’s oceans.
It is thought to have been created around 4.5 billion years ago when a large object crashed into Earth. The moon was formed when the debris from the collision collided.
Extreme temperature swings occur on the moon, with highs of 127 degrees Celsius in sunshine and lows of roughly – 173 degrees Celsius at night. Regrettably, the moon’s exosphere provides little shelter from solar radiation.
Water
According to NASA, the first confirmed discovery of water on the moon was made in 2008 by Chandrayaan-1, which detected hydroxyl molecules distributed across the lunar surface and concentrated at the poles.
Water is essential for human life and can also be a source of hydrogen and oxygen, both of which can be utilized as rocket fuel.
Helium-3
Helium-3 is an uncommon isotope of helium on Earth, but NASA estimates that there are a million metric tons of it on the moon.
According to the European Space Agency, this isotope may generate nuclear energy in a fusion reactor but would not produce hazardous waste because it is not radioactive.
Rare earth metals
According to a Boeing study, rare earth metals like scandium, yttrium, and the 15 lanthanides, which are used in cell phones, computers, and other technology, are present on the moon.
How would Moon mining work?
It’s not really clear. On the moon, some kind of infrastructure would have to be built. Due to the lunar circumstances, robots would have to undertake most of the heavy work, though the water on the moon would allow for long-term human presence.
Moon mining: What exactly is the law?
The law is ambiguous and rife with gaps. According to the United Nations Outer Space Treaty of 1966, no government can claim sovereignty over the moon or other celestial bodies, and space exploration should be carried out for the benefit of all countries.
However, lawyers believe it’s questionable if a private company can claim sovereignty over a portion of the moon. “Moon mining is subject to relatively little existing policy or governance, despite these potentially high stakes,” The RAND Corporation said in a blog last year.
1979 The Moon Agreement states that no part of the moon “shall become the property of any State, international intergovernmental or non-governmental organization, national organization or non-governmental entity, or of any natural person.”
No significant space power has signed on to it. The United States launched the Artemis Accords in 2020, named after NASA’s Artemis moon program, to aim to build on existing international space law by establishing “safety zones” on the moon. Russia and China have not joined the accords.