Mining the Moon: A World Mission, Should We Choose to Accept

Thursday, March 8th, 2012

Like Mars, the moon is being renewed as a go-to place for space exploration — another space race alongside commercial space travel. So, what is the moon hiding beneath its crust that has the world wanting to mine its depths? It’s got a lot to do with water and precious resources.

Did you know that the moon may be able to serve as a giant launch pad for exploration into deep space? Mining the moon could play a major role in launching the human race into outer space.

CREDIT: Shutterstock.com

Humans have always held a deep preoccupation with the moon; from music, to art, to science, to photography, the moon is clearly captivating. As strong as our romantic preoccupation may be, we have an equal interest in colonizing and harvesting. First Earth. Now the Moon.

Countries like the U.S., China, Russia, are talking about mining the moon for its powerful resources, and Canada could provide just the mining tools necessary for the job. In cooperation with NASA, the Canadian Space Agency has begun development on lunar rover prototypes, as a part of the RESOLVE drilling project.

As Dale Boucher, a senior developer at NORCAT, recently told the Canadian Press, “It’s a very wet place and water is the Holy Grail for space exploration.” He continued to explain that water can lead to a launch point for deeper space missions, as it could provide hydrogen fuel cell power generation.

NORCAT expects to be in business, mining the moon the moon’s ice water, in about five years time.

Financial crises aside, this looks like another large step forward for the future of space travel and exploration.

CREDIT: Shutterstock.com