Who is Ahead in the Space Race? Who will Reach the Moon First?

Space Age and Moon Race

Our world is moving more and more towards the space age. Yes, there is a serious economic crisis in our world and especially in many countries, but scientific and technological advances in space are very important; because these inventions and technologies can leave a better world for our children and grandchildren. Space technologies play a role in daily technology and comfort in every field, from the microwave oven we use today, to the MRI device in the hospital, the CMOS camera in our mobile phone, and even the wireless screwdriver we use in repairs. It should also not be forgotten that many medicines and antibiotics are produced through research conducted in space. Therefore, doing space research not only enables us to explore our world and universe, but also ensures that we live a more comfortable and safer life. Hence, it is not possible to have a prosperous society without access to space technologies and, more importantly, space resources, which will become very important as of 2030. It is definitely possible to say that only space technologies and artificial intelligence will shape our future. Thus, a serious space race is happening now to reach the moon and then beyond to have grater access to space.

What is the Artemis Moon Program?

In this sense, perhaps one of the most important races is the space race and, even more importantly, the race to access the moon. There are serious efforts in this regard, and although our country is not in this race, the results of this race will affect us too. Currently, access to the moon is achieved through two axes. In the first axis, there is NASA, which plans to send two astronauts, a man and a woman, to the Moon in 2025 with the Artemis Lunar Program. If this flight is successful, it is expected to be supported by other manned flights throughout the rest of the decade. The goal is to lay the foundations of a Lunar Base in 2030 and to realize an ecosystem where people can constantly be present on the moon. In this context, providing continuous energy with a nuclear reactor that can be located on the moon base is on the agenda. The USA, the UK, many European countries, the European Space Agency, Canada and Japan support this project. The British company Rolls Royce even has plans for such a moon base using nuclear reactors for power. So far, there are NASA, JAXA and ESA, which can send probes or spacecraft to the moon in this axis. Others work mostly on support and logistics systems. It is expected that these research will support a very serious ecosystem and expand the space economy in these countries, and be reflected in the real economy.

Chinese Moon Missions

We can call the second axis the Asian Axis, led by China and supported by Russia. The Chinese Space Agency (CNSA) essentially has a chance that no one else has. Chang’e missions have continued since 2007. The name Chang’e comes from Chang’e, the Chinese Moon Goddess. The sixth space mission Change’6, launched on May 3, was very successful and brought lunar fragments and samples from the Dark Side of the Moon to Earth for the first time. Thus, a new era has started in the space age, which started with the launch of the Sputnik satellite in 1957, and for the first time, there were samples collected from the Dark Side of the Moon. As you know, only one side of the Moon always faces the Earth and that’s why we can’t see the other side. In this context, we will now be able to understand the geological structure on that side of the Moon more clearly with the samples coming from there. As another important advantage, it is known that a very comprehensive map of the Moon has been created with the Chang’e 3 space probe and other Chang’e space probes, and the Chinese Space Agency even recently published a Lunar Atlas. Currently, no one, including the USA, has such a comprehensive map of lunar resources and lunar geology. It is also known that the map also includes the mineral assets of the Moon. As you know, Russia last launched a space probe called Luna 25 to the moon in 2023 and it failed. In this context, the Russian Space Agency mostly supports the Chinese Space Agency in its lunar projects, but the pioneer is definitely China. China, like the USA, has invited other countries to join its axis, and several countries are expected to join this axis. China plans to establish its own Moon base by 2030.

Indian Moon Missions

Although it cooperates with NASA, India is a third player in this regard. In recent years, India has become a pioneer in various space projects, achieving what many countries could not achieve. India, which has its own nuclear reactors, aircraft carriers, nuclear missiles, and a space program that can easily reach the Solar System, is doing serious work. In 2023, India became the first country in the world to reach the South Pole of the Moon with the Chandrayaan 3 mission. The Indian Space Agency (ISRO) was the first to discover that there was water on the Moon with the Chandrayaan-1 mission in 2009. It became the first Asian country to send a probe to Mars in 2013 and became the first and only nation to reach Mars on the first try. ISRO is still collecting data about our Sun with the Aditya L1 probe that it sent to the Sun in 2023, and continues to collect data about Solar Maxima, that is, increased solar activity, which is expected to occur in 2025. They also plan to send their own probe (Shukrayaan) to Venus next year, and a spacecraft that will land on the Moon and bring samples from the Moon in 2026 is also being designed and is about to enter the testing phase. In other words, India, on the other hand, is a significant country that has access to the Moon and is doing very serious work.

Resources on the Moon

Resources such as Helium 3, especially those found on the Moon, are very important for energy production. Establishing a permanent base on the moon also paves the way for the controlled extraction and use of the Moon’s Resources. In addition, a base on the Moon would be ideal for launching launches to other planets or asteroids. In fact, we can say that it is the most important point of access to resources in space. It is expected that by 2040, there will be normal access to these space resources and that these resources will be extractable and usable. Of course, in all these efforts, the results obtained from science and technology R&D will provide an additional advantage. A serious breakthrough is expected, especially in the field of energy conversion, thanks to lunar-related space technologies. In addition, space studies are expected to make a significant contribution to Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Well, please ask yourself. As a very important country in your own geography, where are you in this race and what should be done urgently?