17. Space Exploration

(Moon Missions & Mars Plans)

Purpose:

Initiate humanity’s return to the Moon and first steps toward Mars, establishing a sustained human presence beyond Earth. This involves ambitious missions: landing astronauts on the Moon again (this time to stay, via lunar bases or long-term infrastructure) and preparing for a crewed mission to Mars in the 2030s. The purpose is multifold: scientific discovery (studying the Moon, using it as a testbed for Mars), inspiring innovation, expanding humanity’s frontier, and eventually using extraterrestrial resources (like lunar water ice for life support and fuel). These efforts mark humanity becoming a multi-world species, which could secure our survival and open new economic opportunities (space tourism, mining).

Current Stage:

After half a century since Apollo, humans have not set foot beyond low Earth orbit. That’s about to change with NASA’s Artemis program, an international effort to return to the Moon. Artemis is progressing: Artemis I (an uncrewed test flight of NASA’s SLS rocket and Orion capsule around the Moon) was successfully completed in late 2022. Artemis II will be the first crewed fly-around, carrying astronauts around the Moon, targeted for 2024–2025 nasa.gov (it was recently updated to late 2025 for launch) nasa.gov. Artemis III aims to land astronauts (including the first woman and first person of color) on the lunar surface, specifically the south polar region, currently planned for 2025–2026 nasa.govnasa.gov. This timeline might shift a bit due to hardware readiness, but it’s imminent.

SpaceX’s Starship vehicle is crucial here: NASA contracted SpaceX to provide a version of Starship as the Human Landing System for Artemis III – basically, Orion will carry crew to lunar orbit, then they transfer to Starship to land on the Moon and come back up. Starship, a fully reusable rocket, is itself transformative (see Space Commercialization section). Testing is underway: orbital test flights in 2023 had mixed success, but SpaceX is iterating quickly. We expect by 2025 Starship will reach orbit and likely perform an uncrewed lunar landing test, paving way for the crewed Artemis III.

Beyond that, Artemis plans Artemis IV, V, VI through the late 2020s to build out the Lunar Gateway (a small space station orbiting the Moon) and deliver infrastructure like rovers and base elements. The goal by 2030 is a sustainable presence on the Moon – i.e., a south pole base camp leveraging ice deposits for water and rocket fuel, and regular missions (perhaps annual or more often) nasa.gov. International partners (ESA, JAXA, CSA, etc.) are contributing modules, rovers, science experiments under Artemis Accords.

In parallel, China and Russia (though Russia’s role is uncertain now) announced plans for an International Lunar Research Station by the 2030s, with a goal of a crewed base by around 2035. China has been very methodical: it has done multiple robotic Chang’e missions (including a sample return in 2020). They plan a Chang’e 7 around 2026 to explore the lunar south pole, and aim to land taikonauts on the Moon by around 2030. So likely, within this decade we’ll have two parallel efforts for moon bases – possibly even some competition like Apollo era, though NASA and Artemis partners are far ahead in crewed capability right now.

Now, Mars: NASA’s official plan per current space policy is to use Moon missions to prepare for a crewed Mars mission perhaps in the late 2030s or early 2040s nasa.gov. They are developing technologies like deep space habitats, life support, radiation protection, and advanced propulsion with that in mind. The Artemis program’s success in the 2020s will greatly influence Mars timelines. Meanwhile, SpaceX (Elon Musk) has a bold timetable – Musk often says he wants to send humans to Mars as soon as Starship is proven, originally aiming mid-2020s which is very aggressive. Realistically, an uncrewed Starship Mars landing attempt could happen late this decade if Starship becomes operational (Musk hinted at trying to send Starship to Mars when launch windows permit, maybe 2026 or 2028). Crewed might follow in the 2030s. SpaceX’s long-term vision is building a self-sustaining city on Mars, but for 2035 likely just first explorers or base-camp.

Other players: UAE and India have Mars ambitions (UAE has a Mars probe in orbit and muses about a Mars colony by 2117; India has sent orbiters and may pursue landers). But crewed Mars is mainly US (NASA/SpaceX) and possibly China (China has mentioned Mars sample return by 2030 and crewed mission by 2033-2035 conceptually).

Key Players:

NASA and the Artemis coalition (including the US, European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, JAXA from Japan, etc. under Artemis Accords) nasa.gov. SpaceX as a contractor is huge, developing the heavy lift and lander. Traditional aerospace (Lockheed Martin builds Orion capsule, Boeing builds SLS core stage, etc.). China’s CNSA (with CASC contractors) as independent major player. Private space companies may also mount their own Moon efforts (e.g., ispace Japan attempted a private lunar landing in 2023, more to come; and companies like Blue Origin have designs for lunar landers, partnering with NASA on later missions).

Potential Impact:

The return to the Moon will be a watershed moment in human spaceflight. A new generation will witness humans walking on another world again nasa.gov, which could inspire STEM pursuits and a sense of global unity or competition. Establishing a lunar base has practical scientific outcomes: we can study the Moon’s geology to learn solar system history, test how to live off-world (using local resources like ice for water and fuel), and perform unique science (like building radio telescopes on the far side, shielded from Earth’s noise, to study the universe’s early epochs).

Economically, these explorations could seed new industries: mining the Moon for water (which can be split into hydrogen/oxygen rocket fuel) could form a space propellant economy, lowering cost of deeper exploration since ships can refuel in space. The Moon might also have rare earth elements or helium-3 (a speculative fusion fuel), though mining those is far off. Even near-term, companies are eyeing tourism – e.g., SpaceX’s “dearMoon” project will fly artists around the Moon (with Starship) possibly in 2024 if schedules hold, a purely private mission. More such ventures could follow, e.g., private astronauts visiting the Gateway or lunar surface alongside government missions for a hefty price.

Strategically, being present on the Moon could confer prestige and strategic advantage (satellite bases, vantage for science or even military observation though outer space treaties forbid military bases). It’s likely to shape international relations; note the Artemis Accords are a framework for peaceful, transparent, cooperative use of Moon and beyond (like agreements on how to extract resources). If multiple nations have assets on the Moon, rules of engagement will be critical – hopefully this drives a robust legal regime for space.

Looking to Mars – if by 2035 we actually have either an international mission launched or at least in advanced preparation, it signals humanity truly venturing interplanetary. A successful human mission to Mars would be one of history’s greatest feats nasa.gov. The impact is similar to Apollo but magnified: it would show that such distance (average 225 million km vs 0.38 million to Moon) and harsh environment can be overcome. It could galvanize planetary science (e.g., drilling for possible past life on Mars) and maybe spawn ideas of eventual colonization.

However, challenges are immense: radiation in deep space, zero-g for 6+ month travel, psychological isolation, and currently no emergency abort once en route. So initial Mars missions will be extremely risky and expensive. The first crewed missions might just orbit or do short stays on Mars (30 days) until confidence builds.

If SpaceX’s approach works, it might accelerate things by providing a relatively cost-effective transport (Starship is designed to be cheap per launch and refuelable in orbit for interplanetary). NASA might leverage that and re-prioritize Mars sooner. Or if risk-averse, it might stick to late 2030s.

In any case, by 2035 likely dozens of people have been to the Moon, and maybe footprints on Mars or at least a set date for that mission. Culturally, that’s huge: an entire global audience is reengaged with human space exploration beyond Earth. It might also spur the next generation of innovation – historically, Apollo gave us numerous tech spinoffs and an era of tech optimism. Artemis/Mars could do similar, driving advances in robotics, life support systems (with Earth benefits for sustainable tech), and fueling interest in science.

In summary, this period will see humans become an interplanetary species in the early stages nasa.gov. We will relearn and advance how to live and work off Earth. The Moon base might become a stepping stone for deeper space – perhaps a proving ground for growing food in regolith, for 3D-printing habitats, etc., all crucial for Mars and beyond (like eventual asteroid bases or further in the solar system). It’s the dawn of a new chapter of exploration that could ensure long-term survival of humanity (diversifying locations), yield scientific breakthroughs (maybe discovery of life’s evidence on Mars), and fundamentally alter our perspective – when you can look up and know humans are living on the Moon, and that someone is preparing to go to Mars, the cosmos feels just a bit more within our reach nasa.gov.