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Incredible map shows the places on the moon where we could find ‘infinite energy’ or trillions of minerals by 2030
After half a century, a new space race is heating up, 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 metals’ used in electronics to Helium-3, a potential energy source that could power a nuclear fusion revolution that would provide infinite clean energy.
Morgan Stanley has previously suggested that the global space industry could be worth a trillion dollars annually by 2040 – and make Elon Musk (after the Space X company) the world’s first trillionaire.
The map below shows some of the missions that will aim for the moon in the coming years – and some of the treasures believed to be lurking on its surface, from rare earth minerals to Helium-3.
Nations race to the south pole and ‘dark side’ of the moon
NASA plans to put the first woman on Mars by the middle of this decade, and NASA, Russia and China are all planning a moon base in the longer term.
Defense contractor Northrop Grumman is drawing up plans for a rail line on the moon to transport goods between bases, with the moon’s south pole believed to contain water reserves (which could be turned into fuel for spacecraft that will mine or land on asteroids land on Mars).
NASA has talked of a moon “gold rush,” with Russia saying it would launch even more lunar missions and then explore the possibility of a joint Russian-Chinese crewed mission and even a moon base.
Rare earth metals – used in smartphones, computers and advanced technologies – are available on the moon, according to Boeing research.
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 power in a fusion reactor, but because it is not radioactive it would not produce hazardous waste (although nuclear fusion is not yet financially viable, despite recent breakthroughs).
NASA’s Nova-C lunar landar launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Artemis astronauts to graduate this year (Getty)
Most “moon mining” plans involve much of the work being done by robots, supervised by humans at moon bases or in space stations orbiting Earth.
But the law surrounding who “owns” the moon or its resources is unclear.
More than 80 countries are already present in space.
Philosopher AC Grayling writes in his new book Who Owns the Moon?: ‘A space is being created in the Wild West.
“The consequences for peace and stability on earth, which are already weak on conventional grounds… could be, and all too likely are, like adding fuel to a fire.”
Water will be an important resource on the moon
The 1966 United Nations Outer Space Treaty says no country can claim sovereignty over the moon, although lawyers say it is 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 both China and 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.
Only twelve people have ever walked on the moon – all men, and no one has been on the moon since Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt in December 1972.
