WHEN the Soviet Union put the first satellite, Sputnik 1, into orbit in 1957, Lyndon Johnson, then a US senator, stoked the idea that it was an affront to American prestige. 鈥淐ontrol of space means control of the world,鈥� he said. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy agreed with the sentiment and committed to putting a man on the moon that decade.
The subsequent success of the Apollo programme was one of the most extraordinary achievements in human history, and our special issue this week explores its legacy (see 鈥�Apollo 11 only made it to the moon through diabolically hard practice鈥�). But this isn鈥檛 just about the past. Fifty years on, we are going back to the moon. The participants in the new race are different, as are the reasons for going, which this time means we are more likely to stay.
Science is one reason. Returning to the moon will help us find out how our planet formed and open up new fields of science and discovery, while lunar bases will become staging posts for exploration of Mars and the rest of the solar system.
Advertisement
Commerce is another motive. The new space race is as much between rival commercial operations as it is between countries. It remains to be seen how long companies will have to wait until they see a return on their investment: tourism opportunities may bring cash in and providing cargo and passenger transport to the lunar surface could become profitable, but it doesn鈥檛 look like a space-based economy will be functional for quite a while.
So we need to be clear about the reasons for going back. The first principle should be that the return is the start of something long-term. For the sake of scientific discovery, human lunar exploration shouldn鈥檛 peter out like it did last time. The second principle should be to ensure the moon really is for everyone. Despite the diversity of actors in the new race, the old drivers 鈥� pride and territoriality and Johnson鈥檚 appeal to control 鈥� are still there. We must examine the objectives of new missions and ensure that the moon remains an object of wonder and inspiration for everyone.
