Five decades on from the last of the Apollo missions, the Moon is once again a target for space exploration. But Nasa no longer has lunar exploration to itself.

The reasons for going to the moon vary: from scientific knowledge and technological advances to the prospect of accessing potentially useful lunar resources and political or economic value.

But in such a crowded field, the big question is who will become the next major global player in the next phase of lunar exploration. It will no longer be the sole preserve of national space agencies; commercial companies also want a piece of the lunar action.

  • Lvxferre@mander.xyz
    42·
    9 months ago

    Off-topic: I hate when writers use “nation” to refer to “country”. And I can’t even blame them because countries fuel this conflation too.

    On-topic: as @Tristaniopsis@aussie.zone said it’s simply profit. If there’s something to mine in the Moon, they’ll try to mine it.

    • naeap@sopuli.xyz
      1·
      9 months ago

      Hm… Yeah, I guess so
      Sounds like a very cool experience you can’t really have else

      Seeing the earth “rise” in the sunlight from a glass dome on the moon sounds actually really sweet

      Disregarding all environmental effects and my probable lack of budget…