Why invest in a space program right now? For Sian Cleaver, industrial director of the European service module program at Airbus Defense & Space, the answer seems simple: beyond exploring the moon and eventually supporting the exploration of Mars, it can bring economic benefits and even inspire a new generation. engineers and technology professionals.
“Money spent in space is money well spent,” said the board during the Airbus Summit, held in Toulouse, the company’s stronghold in Europe.
Beyond this, the moon’s resource potential for Earth is promising, to say the least.
According to data from NASA and ESA itself, three crucial elements could be extracted from the moon: helium-3, an isotope that could provide nuclear energy more safely in a fusion reactor; rare metals, such as scandium and yttrium. And water, which beyond being intended for human consumption, can serve to extract hydrogen and serve as fuel for spacecraft.
The ESA even estimated in a 2017 report that the market for resources extracted from space between 2018 and 2045 is between 73,000 and 170,000 million euros, with the potential to generate between 845,000 and 1.8 million full-time jobs.
Although there is a long way to go to reach that moment, the European company has already considered the logistical needs of turning the moon into a source of resources for the Earth.
Airbus announced the development of the Argonaut, a multi-purpose logistics lander concept by ESA, which would be capable of transporting more than 1.7 tonnes of cargo to any location on the lunar surface. In addition, the company also works with the agency in the development of interorbital transport vehicles.
However, there seems to be an awareness of the risk of mining the moon in search of resources for Earth.
For Fred Krupp, president of the US Environmental Defense Fund, it is crucial that the research and extraction of resources is done in a responsible way. “We cannot extract or generate hydrogen if we are sacrificing natural resources, or taking them away from other people,” he warned.
Despite this, Cleaver assures that the planet is in a unique position to “do things right this time.”
“We can make use of lunar resources in an ingenious, and, we hope, sustainable way.”