Finally! After 50 years, humanity returns to the Moon: And this time, we're staying!

Fifty years after the last human footprints in the lunar dust, we are returning. This time, however, it’s not just about prestige and flag-raising. The new space race, led by private giants like SpaceX and Blue Origin, has much more ambitious goals: to build a permanent base on the Moon, extract valuable resources, and use it as a stepping stone for journeys further into space, especially to Mars. This return, driven by the revolution of reusable rockets, promises not only the emergence of an entirely new lunar industry but also a technological leap that will impact our lives here on Earth. The Artemis program, led by NASA, is intended to be the first step towards a permanent human presence beyond our planet, despite extreme challenges in the form of radiation, dust, and enormous temperature fluctuations.

Why are we returning to the Moon now?

While the original space race was a manifestation of rivalry between the USA and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, today’s motivation is different. After the end of the Apollo era, public interest and funding waned. Today, however, a new generation of competitors has stepped up to the starting line – China, India, Japan, Europe, and especially private companies. It is companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin that have changed the rules of the game. They have developed reusable rockets that have dramatically reduced the cost of transporting cargo to orbit and beyond. What once cost billions is now available for a fraction of the price, opening doors to commercial and scientific projects that were previously unthinkable.

Private Giants at the Forefront: SpaceX vs. Blue Origin

The two wealthiest people on the planet, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, are vying for supremacy in space, each with a different philosophy. Their rivalry is the driving force behind current progress.

Elon Musk and his SpaceX are seen as the rock stars of the space industry. Since its founding in 2002, Musk has set the goal of making humanity a multi-planetary species. Despite initial failures and exploding rockets, SpaceX has worked its way to a dominant position thanks to its Falcon 9 rockets and Crew Dragon spacecraft. It is now developing the massive Starship, which is intended to land on the Moon as part of the Artemis program and one day fly to Mars. Musk’s strategy is based on a brutal pace of development, a willingness to take risks, and massive, repeatable, and low-cost space transport.

On the other side stands Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin with a much more methodical approach. Bezos’s vision is to “build a road to space,” meaning to construct long-term and reliable infrastructure for future generations. The company long worked in seclusion, testing engines and suborbital flights with the New Shepard spacecraft. It is now preparing the heavy-lift rocket New Glenn, which is intended to compete with Starship, and the lunar landers Blue Moon. Blue Origin does not seek first place at any cost; it emphasizes safety, reliability, and the creation of foundations for a future lunar industry and commercial activities in space.

Lunar Industry: More Than Just Dust and Rocks

The Moon is not just a testing ground, but also a vast reservoir of resources that are rare or difficult to access on Earth. The prospect of their utilization is a key driver of current interest. Among the most significant are:

• Water: Found in the form of ice in craters near the poles, it is absolutely crucial. It can be used not only to support crew life but also for the production of rocket fuel (oxygen and hydrogen), making the Moon a potential “gas station” for missions into deeper space.
• Helium-3: This isotope is extremely rare on Earth but is found in regolith on the Moon. It is considered a potential fuel for clean and safe nuclear fusion in the future.
• Metals and Rare Elements: The lunar surface contains titanium, aluminum, iron, and other elements that could be used for construction and manufacturing directly on-site using 3D printing.

History shows that space research brings groundbreaking technologies to Earth as well. The Apollo program, for example, led to the development of cordless power tools, which we all use today. Similarly, research for the International Space Station (ISS) brought advanced water filters or cutting-edge medical sensors. It is expected that the construction of a lunar base and industry will trigger another wave of innovations in robotics, energy, recycling, and materials engineering.

Artemis and the Harsh Reality of Lunar Life

The Artemis program, led by NASA, aims to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon. It’s not about a one-time visit, but about building a base near the South Pole, where there is access to water ice and almost continuous sunlight as an energy source. However, this project is associated with extreme challenges.

The lunar environment is inhospitable for both humans and technology. The biggest threats are:

• Lunar Dust (Regolith): It’s not like terrestrial sand. The absence of erosion means its particles are microscopically sharp and abrasive. It gets everywhere, damages spacesuits, clogs mechanisms, and when inhaled, causes health problems for astronauts, referred to as “lunar hay fever.”
• Radiation: Without the protection of Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field, astronauts are exposed to many times higher doses of dangerous cosmic radiation.
• Temperature Extremes: Temperatures on the lunar surface fluctuate between more than +120 °C in the sun and less than -170 °C in the shade.

Survival and mission success will depend on the ability to manufacture, repair, and recycle as much as possible directly on-site. Every mistake here can have fatal consequences.

If we manage to live on the Moon, we will gain not only new technologies but, above all, an insurance policy for humanity’s survival. We will never again be tied to just one planet. It is a chance for a new beginning and another great leap for all humankind.

What will we discover about ourselves when we truly start living, working, and transforming that place into humanity’s new home?