Incredible map shows the places on the moon where we might find ‘infinite energy’ or trillions in minerals by 2030
A new space race is warming up after half a century, with Russia, China and America racing to put robots, human astronauts and even lunar trains on the moon.
The prize is enormous, with resources ranging from ‘rare earth’ minerals used in electronics to Helium-3, a potential energy source which could power a nuclear fusion revolution offering infinite clean energy.
Morgan Stanley has previously suggested that the global space industry could be worth $1 trillion annually by 2040 – and could make Elon Musk (behind the company Space X) the world’s first trillionaire.
The map below shows some of the missions targeting the moon in coming years – and some of the treasures believed to lurk on its surface, from rare earth minerals to Helium-3.
Nations are racing for the moon’s south pole and ‘dark side’
NASA is planning to put the first woman on Mars in the middle of this decade, and both NASA, Russia and China are planning for a moon base in the longer term.
Defense contractor Northrop Grumman is drawing up plans for a railway on the moon to carry goods between bases, with the moon’s south pole believed to hold reserves of water (which can be turned into fuel for spacecraft going to mine asteroids or land on Mars).
NASA has spoken about a “lunar gold rush”, with Russia saying that it would launch further lunar missions and then explore the possibility of a joint Russian-China crewed mission and even a lunar base.
Rare earth metals – used in smartphones, computers and advanced technologies – are available on the moon, according to research by Boeing.
Helium-3 is a form of the gas helium that is rare on earth, but NASA says there are estimates of a million tons of it on the moon.
Helium 3 could provide nuclear energy in a fusion reactor but since it is not radioactive it would not produce dangerous waste (although so far nuclear fusion is not yet financially viable despite recent breakthroughs).
NASA’s Nova-C lunar landar launches from Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Artemis astronauts graduate this year (Getty)
Most plans for ‘moon mining’ involve robots doing much of the work, overseen by humans either on moon bases or on orbiting space stations.
But the law around who ‘owns’ the moon or its resources is unclear.
More than 80 countries already have a presence in space.
Philosopher AC Grayling writes in his new book Who Owns the Moon?, ‘A space Wild West is coming into existence.
‘The consequences for peace and stability on Earth, already tenuous on conventional grounds … could be, and too likely will be, as petrol on to a fire.’
Water will be an important resource on the moon
The United Nations 1966 Outer Space Treaty says that no nation can claim sovereignty over the moon, although lawyers say it’s unclear whether a private entity can claim areas.
In 2020, the United States announced the Artemis Accords to establish ‘safe zones’ on the moon – but Russia and China have not joined.
The south pole is being targeted by China as well as NASA, which has identified 13 possible landing sites near the moon’s south pole for the Artemis III which will return humans to the moon.
Just 12 people have ever walked on the moon – all of whom are men, and no one has been to the moon sinceGene Cernan and Jack Schmitt in December 1972.
