By: Elijah Pinkert
As long as humans have been looking into the sky, they have dreamed of space. The Greeks saw the stars and planets, Galileo discovered the secrets of Jupiter, and the Mayans used the sky to record time. However, with the dawn of rocketry in the 20th century, humans soon found themselves experiencing space with their own eyes. The ultimate goal: the moon. In 1969 our dreams of landing on the great rock in the sky was realized, and with it, interest in space died off. Due to a combination of accidents, funding cuts, and world events, it has been nearly 50 years since we have stepped foot on the moon. However, many are campaigning for humans to return. Not as visitors this time, but as colonists.
However, why would humans return to the moon? The moon is barren of anything that could support human life, which means everything humans need to survive would have to be brought there. Humans would be stuck in small, airlocked chambers with only a small population of people to keep them company, all of which would cost incredible amounts of funding. What does the moon offer that would make it worthwhile for us to visit?
The moon may not have much in terms of survivable land, but it makes up in resources. The moon is covered with rare metals like silver and gold, important building materials like iron, and even Helium 3, which could act as a possible fuel for fusion reactors. Not only resources, but the moon also offers an incredible amount of land, all of which has absolutely no risk of suffering damage, due to the total lack of life on the moon. The moon could become a hub for all sorts of advancements that could benefit earth, and could become the perfect testing ground.
Furthermore, the lack of atmosphere and low gravity would make launching rockets and satellites much easier, allowing for easier space construction. Companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are working to see the moon again in the next 10 years for these reasons.
The moon offers a variety of benefits, and it seems like humans may see it through to visit again. What we do there may determine where humans end up within the next Century, and may be the most important asset we ever save. It is only a matter of how fast we manage to do it.