NASA is taking a giant step forward with plans to land humans on the Moon this decade and will establish a sustainable human presence there by the end of the 2020s. In addition to a tough landing, Artemis is an ambitious goal; its destination isn’t just the lunar surface but rather long-term habitation on and around it.
Artemis missions will start with uncrewed test flights to prepare for human exploration. NASA is aiming to return astronauts to the lunar surface in the mid-2020s, this time at and around the Moon’s South Pole — a region where ice deposits have been found that could be enormously beneficial for crew habitation. The mission will be the first time humans have been on the Moon since the 1960s and 1970s, during Apollo missions.
But the vision of NASA goes beyond just landing on Moon. The agency wants to develop a lunar refueling station, ostensibly akin to a base camp where astronauts could conduct research and adventure forth from there into the broader universe. It could be used as a base camp for future missions to mars or beyond. At its core, the ultimate aim is to build an autonomous colony on Earth’s only moon — a place where human could exist in starkly different surroundings.
In order to do that, NASA is working with its commercial and international partners to develop the technology and infrastructure it will need. Developing its Space Launch System (SLS) — more powerful even than the rocket that launched humans to Moon on Apollo missions — and an Orion spacecraft for getting crews into deep space, NASA is made to do this work. They also are focusing on establishing lunar habitats, environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS), utilizing resources from the Moon.
Here is a detailed description of gravity science, lunar resources and other reasons why we should return to the Moon: The potential benefits are staggering. As we push the frontiers of scientific knowledge and technology, SpaceIL will inspire the next generation to aid in further human achievements. Succeeding at living on the Moon would also provide invaluable experience for going to Mars, shedding light onto how well humans could adapt in inhospitable extra-terrestrial habitats.
It’s true the problems are — mom, it is scary but potential of solutions are even phenomenally greater. NASA is taking steps to extend human presence beyond the Earth and move further into the universe, delivering upon lofty goals of not only lunar exploration by humans. We might indeed see this new era before we finish the present decade, when an Earthbound ancestry will gain a second home on the Moon.
