When Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon in 1969, humanity took a giant step in space exploration. But, contrary to expectations, we have not built lunar cities or research stations. For more than half a century, the Moon has remained a symbol of past victories, but now interest in it is reviving again. NASA’s Artemis initiative promises to return people to the Moon – this time not for a short excursion, but with the ambitious goal of creating the first-ever lunar base. Why is this necessary? Let’s figure it out.
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Why the Moon again?
At first glance, returning to the Moon may seem like a step backwards: after all, we’ve already been there. However, the Artemis mission has completely different goals than the famous Apollo. If in the 1960s the main goal was to demonstrate technological superiority, now we are talking about creating a sustainable human presence beyond Earth.
The Moon is the perfect “test bed” for technologies needed for future missions to Mars and deep space. It is the closest celestial body to us, where everything from life support to resource extraction can be tested.
What is the Artemis program?
Artemis is a multi-year NASA program with the goal of landing a human on the Moon in 2025–2026 and creating a permanent lunar infrastructure.
The key milestones of the program are:
Artemis I (2022) — an unmanned flight of the Orion spacecraft around the Moon.
Artemis II (expected in 2025) — a manned flyby of the Moon.
Artemis III and beyond — landing on the surface and building a base.
NASA is not acting alone. The program involves the European Space Agency (ESA), Canada, Japan, and private companies, including SpaceX, which is building the lander.
Why build a base on the Moon?
1. Preparing for Mars Flights
To go to Mars, humanity needs years of training in conditions as close to reality as possible. The Moon is an ideal testing ground:
weak gravity (1/6 of Earth’s);
harsh climate conditions;
limited resources;
high radiation.
Creating a base will allow us to test life support systems, radiation protection methods, energy generation technologies, and resource processing. All this knowledge is critical for future expeditions to Mars.
2. Resource extraction
One of the most promising resources on the Moon is water ice found in polar craters. Ice can be used to obtain drinking water, oxygen, and even hydrogen for fuel. The possibility of local resource extraction (In-Situ Resource Utilization, ISRU) is a key step towards autonomy from Earth.
3. Astronomy and Science
The Moon can also be used as a unique platform for science. On its “dark side” there is no radio interference from the Earth, which makes it an ideal place to install radio telescopes capable of peering into the depths of the Universe.
The lunar surface also contains ancient geological layers, which scientists can use to study the history of the Solar System and even Earth processes.
