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Why countries are racing to the moon again
Hello people, have you ever told your better half that you love them “to the moon and
back”?
Of course you have, we’ve all been in that mushy phase where every exaggeration looked
modest!
But our sober selves know very well that actually going to the moon is no cake walk, after all,
only 12 people have ever done it!
All on them American men, and the last man took the journey to moon in 1972, nothing
since then!
Now why have we mixed the moon related blabbering from the “romance induced high” with actual
moon visitations?
Uhmm, let’s just say we used romance as a bait to get you involved in the dynamics
of earth’s natural satellite!
Don’t be angry, you’ll not regret sitting through the video, so let’s begin!
Uhmmm, where do we start from?
Ah, the first moon landing, of course!
The most significant event in the history of science and global politics.
It won’t be wrong to say that the first moon landing gave the United States an edge
in the Space Race, and led to numerous breakthroughs in science, and space travel.
Now we aren’t overlooking the rumors that these Moon landings were faked but let’s
face it, there is irrefutable scientific evidence that the landings occurred.
Anyway, the point here is that after the 1972 moon landing, there has been a lull of almost
50 years.
Yea, that was the hint- moon is becoming a subject of interest again!
Why the Moon?
Haven’t we already been there, done that?
First thing’s first, let’s discuss who all are involved in this “back to basics”
agenda?
Thinking about the back to moon project, everything looks more like a High school situation!
Ah, we mean there are plenty of old faces involved in this new Space Race but there’s
no way one could forget the new kids on the block!
For starters, India, China, and Russia are heavily involved, which isn’t a surprise
because hello, they are leading the way in modern technological developments!
But there are surprise entries in the name of Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and plenty
of European nations.
Even heavyweights NASA have got their mojo back, and are looking toward space travel
once again!
Now the big question- why this interest in moon all over again?
Now with all space-related travel and exploration, there are so many pros attached but the economic
and political advantages have a special place.
A lot of nations currently involved in the revival of moon journeys are seeking to help
themselves politically, as well as boosting their economies.
After so many years of neglecting the most romantic natural satellite, countries are
looking to get back into the stratosphere!
It’ll be fun to see who wins this race to the moon, after all, a lot is at stake!
But from another aspect, it is also a great way to mesh economies of various countries.
Confused?
Even if they don’t have their own space program, countries can develop instruments
to fly on spacecraft that are built and launched by other nations.
For example, India’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft carried instruments from Sweden, Germany,
UK, Bulgaria, and the US to the Moon.
You tell us, don’t you support “back to the moon” mission?
Now if you’ll allow us to move ahead, there is another big advantage of returning to moon
landing and that is, the opportunity for new discoveries and new horizons.
It is easier than ever before to reach the Moon, and many nations have an eye on what
could be found beyond the moon.
Like they say there is so much we don’t know about our planet, everyday there are
new discoveries, how could you imagine that we’ll know the moon in and out only in a
few visits?
There is so much hidden in the huge craters of the moon that we haven’t yet got our
hands on!
Exploring new horizons in space is essential for the future, and could really help to further
the human race and what better place to start than our very own moon?
Japan’s Selene spacecraft and India’s Chandrayaan-1 mission discovered new distributions
of minerals on the Moon.
The presence of water ice and other organic compounds in permanently shadowed regions
of the Moon that never see sunlight has been discovered.
Another interesting discovery was of Helium-3, present in abundance on Moon.
It is a potential fuel for nuclear fusion, a potentially unlimited and non-polluting
source of energy.
Wow!
Another thing that you might have missed is the fact that Moon is a tempting target for
space agencies who are in need of successful missions!
Radio communication over the relatively short distance between the Earth and Moon is almost
instantaneous.
Between Earth and Mars, two-way communication times can be the better part of an hour.
Plus low gravity and lack of atmosphere further simplifies the operations on the moon.
All in all, a simpler deal!
Already giving a green signal to the return of “moon missions”?
Don’t be so impressed already, the biggest reason is yet to be unveiled!
But first, let us tell you that the Trump Administration declared in October 2017 that
it wants the U.S. to be a leader in the space industry.
This includes going to the Moon and being the first country to send astronauts to Mars.
Yes, seems like soon humans or rather Americans will land on Mars, wow!
But why have we diverted our attention to Mars journey when we gotta be discussing about
the return to moon, have we gone off track?
Uhmm no, because the two journeys are interrelated, in a BIG way!
How about we tell you that the moon is going to be a gas station for outer space?
You heard that right, moon being the gas station for space is true, now let that sink in!
Commerce Secretary of USA, Wilbur Ross said in an interview that the country’s future
success largely depends on what they accomplish by going to the moon, such as turning it into
a refueling station by establishing a lunar colony.
What, a colony on moon to act as a refueling station?
Well, the plan is to break down the ice found on moon into hydrogen and oxygen, and use
those as the fuel propellant.
In fact, Ross foresees a scenario where rockets would be launched from earth towards moon
where they will be refueled and then launched into deep space.
This subsequent launch would require less thrust since the Moon’s gravitational force
is much lower than the Earth’s.
That makes sense!
US wants to ensure that organizations like NASA and companies like Space X can pave way
to the stars!
As it is, Elon Musk has made elaborate plans to set up a colony on moon and then head to
Mars by 2024.
It’ll be interesting to see if his dream comes true and what he will achieve by this
mission but we’ll have to wait to see!
What is your opinion about the countries racing to moon again?
Tell us in the comment section below.
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