The Earth looks at the Moon again

More than half a century ago, the Moon became the subject of a race between the Americans and the Soviets. Now interest has been revived, and there are plans to set foot on it again, a path marked by a steady stream of scientific, strategic and commercial missions and interests. The Earth’s satellite, which celebrates its International Day today, has been hosting various unmanned expeditions this year, as samples have been returned for the first time from its hidden side, always shrouded in mystery.

The United States is the only country to have put humans on its surface, first in 1969, in a race the Soviet Union lost in a world divided into two blocs. But now there has been a “paradigm shift,” says Center for Astrobiology (CAB) researcher David Barrado. In a multipolar society, interest is not limited to two countries or government space agencies; there are also private operators developing their own strategies.

The “fundamental event” that has defined the Moon’s renewed appeal is China’s announcement that it will send humans to the moon by 2030 and its intention to build a base, adds Alejandro Manuel Gomez San Juan, an aerospace engineer at the University of Vigo.

“There are very few good places to stay on the moon. No one is talking about a race, but everyone will be looking for a place at the south pole, where the only good place to stay is” and where there is icy water, he adds.

That’s why this year’s missions are specifically targeted at this location. Last June, Beijing brought back samples of the far side for the first time, taken near the south pole.

In February, the United States returned to the satellite with the Odyssey module (IM-1), the first built by a private company. It had a bumpy landing, although it was able to complete its mission. Astrobotic’s North American Peregrine returned after losing fuel, and Japan’s SLIM probe had a rough landing and erratic operation in January.

Landing on the moon “is very difficult, there is no atmosphere to use for braking, it has to be done with engines,” an automatic control system is needed, and it is quite rough terrain, Gomez says.

Artemis program

And not everything is going according to plan. For example, NASA has announced the end of the VIPER project, which was supposed to land near the South Pole. The most important delay to date is the Artemis project to deliver astronauts to the Moon. The manned flyby has been postponed until 2025, and the return of people to its surface will not happen before September 2026.

Experts agree that delays are normal for technology initiatives of this scale, and while there is always risk, the acceptable threshold is much lower than it was half a century ago.