According to modern scientific understanding, the southern pole of the Moon possesses resources that could support the establishment of lunar bases and future Mars missions.
It seems that nowadays, all aeronautics-related organizations are eager to send their spacecraft to the southern pole of the Moon. Recently, India became the fourth country to land on the Moon, while Russia was less fortunate in its recent space launch. The United States also plans to send astronauts there by 2025, and China is exploring several landing sites for its uncrewed lunar lander.
The southern pole of the Moon is the southernmost point on the Moon, located at 90° south latitude. It has garnered special interest from scientists due to the presence of water ice in the permanently shadowed regions surrounding it. (Image: Inverse).
For decades since humans last set foot on the Moon, we have discovered hidden water ice in the shadows of deep craters near the Moon’s southern pole. This new information has made the Moon extremely attractive.
NASA is also serious about sending astronauts to Mars and sees the Moon as an important stepping stone on that journey—both literally and figuratively. Establishing a presence on the Moon will help develop the technology and plans that astronauts can use on their way to Mars in the future.
In fact, NASA plans to use the Moon and a lunar orbital space station named Gateway as a stopover for missions on the longer journey to Mars.
Other countries, particularly China, India, and Russia, are also eyeing the southern pole of the Moon. In some cases, their space agencies have long-term ambitions for crewed missions to Mars, but for now, these countries also want to achieve certain milestones from landing on the Moon.
The Gateway space station, as planned by NASA, will orbit the Moon and serve as a scientific research base and resource supply station for missions to Mars. (Image: Inverse).
What Does the Southern Pole of the Moon Hold?
The southern pole of the Moon features numerous craters and extremely rugged terrain, vastly different from the relatively flat, cooled lava plains explored by Apollo astronauts in the 1970s. However, the deep craters surrounding the pole may hold the ‘key’ to building self-sustaining lunar bases—specifically, the water ice located in the shadowed depths of the deepest craters.
If you aim to establish a base on the Moon, frozen water will play a significant role. Of course, you can melt it down and drink it, but you can also separate its molecules to create liquid hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel (the oxygen can also help you breathe more comfortably).
While we have all these resources on Earth, water is particularly heavy, and transporting it off the planet would be costly in terms of money and fuel. A lunar base that can source its water, generate rocket fuel, and provide breathable air from nearby craters would be much cheaper than transporting these essentials from Earth. Mars missions would also benefit from being able to obtain supplies at an orbital station like Gateway instead of launching them from the gravitational well of Earth.
Shadowed craters at the Moon’s southern pole contain water ice, a valuable resource for future explorers. (Image: Inverse).
Future Plans
China’s upcoming Chang’e-6 lander will carry instruments from France, Italy, Sweden, and Pakistan. India’s next lunar mission will be a joint effort with Japan. Meanwhile, NASA is advancing its Artemis program in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), along with space agencies from Germany, Israel, Italy, and Japan.
Timeline of Future Missions:
- 2024: Astronauts will orbit the Moon during NASA’s Artemis II crew mission. China’s uncrewed Chang’e-6 lander will return samples of rock and soil from the far side of the Moon.
- 2025: NASA will launch the first two modules of the Gateway space station. Astronauts will land near the Moon’s southern pole in NASA’s Artemis III crew mission.
- 2026: China’s uncrewed Chang’e-7 mission will land near the Moon’s southern pole with a lander and a rover.
- 2027: Russia’s Luna-26 mission (if it proceeds after the Luna-25 accident) will orbit the Moon’s poles.
- 2026-2028: India’s uncrewed Chandrayaan-4 mission, in collaboration with Japan, will land a probe near the Moon’s southern pole.
- 2028: China’s uncrewed Chang’e-8 mission will land near the Moon’s southern pole and test technology for building 3D-printed structures from regolith. NASA’s Artemis IV crew mission will send more astronauts to the Moon and transfer the primary habitat module to Gateway.
- 2029: NASA’s Artemis V crew mission will send more astronauts and lunar probes to the Moon.
- 2029-2031: NASA will provide four additional modules for Gateway and send more astronauts to the Moon with Artemis VI crew mission.
- 2035: China and Russia plan to establish a joint crewed lunar base called the International Lunar Research Station.
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