Back to month, really now? It’s been half a century since the US astronaut hero Neil Armstrong leaving its mark in the satellite dust – after that, space travel lessened his interest in the moon. Now NASA is investing tens of billions of dollars researching celestial bodies that don’t have the slightest trace of life. What should it be?

In Armstrong’s day, it was all about prestige – Americans wanted to be there before anyone else. Now it’s about much more: Behind the moon’s strut is a dream, the man can finally conquer the universe. Announcement from NASA sounds spectacular – even if the start of Artemis had to be postponed again, this time due to a leaking tank hose. Failure doesn’t change NASA’s goal: in collaboration with European Space Agency Esa, the US space agency wants to build a habitable outpost in the next few years.

Moon station as base camp for onward flights to Mars – NASA’s vision is more exciting than anything else “Star Trek“—The script. Actually, after all, the space nations are not toying with utopias. But with their influence.

Moon mission: A great power lurks their claim

What we are witnessing lately is the start of a new race towards the moon. China is also working on bringing its own astronauts there. Russia, India and the United Arab Emirates also set their sights on Earth’s satellites. New technical possibilities have types gold rush triggered, and a great worldly power just stalked their claim.

It is naive to think that these countries are primarily of scientific interest. You want to be prepared if people actually live there permanently in a few years and head to the moon for transfer stations Mars develop. Armstrong’s successor is here to stay.

This text first appeared on morgenpost.de.

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