The Moon Rush: How Private Companies are Shaping the Future of Lunar Exploration
The race to explore the Moon has picked up pace, with the US, Europe, and China investing billions in plans to send humans back to Earth’s favorite satellite. Unlike the Apollo era, this time people are planning to stay on the Moon for long-term exploration. The most significant change, however, is the increased involvement of private companies in these missions.
In the US, companies like Astrobotic Technology, Intuitive Machines, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Axiom Space, and Crescent are investing their own resources alongside NASA to develop robotic Moon landers, landers for astronauts, space suits, and infrastructure including communication and navigation satellites and power sources. In the near future, there are even talks of mining minerals or ice on the Moon. According to PwC, the lunar economy has the potential to become a $170 billion market by 2040.
However, for this market to thrive, private companies need to find customers outside of government agencies for their goods and services. SpaceX provides a good example with its collaboration with NASA to build rockets and spacecraft for the International Space Station. As a result, NASA has consistent access to space, while SpaceX has a thriving business launching commercial satellites and private astronaut missions. The challenge now lies in figuring out the source of private demand on the Moon.
DARPA, the US military’s advanced research agency, aims to address this challenge. Dr. Michael Nayak, a planetary scientist and former Air Force test pilot, is leading a 10-year study called LunA-10. This study will incentivize private companies to work together and devise plans for a self-sustaining, commercially owned-and-operated lunar infrastructure by 2035. The study aims to answer questions like the mass of cargo needed to transport to the Moon, the power requirements of habitats and robots, and the types of robots necessary for lunar operations. Most importantly, it seeks to determine what it would take for companies to sell goods and services to each other instead of solely relying on government contracts.
While the answers remain uncertain, Nayak is collaborating with 14 companies to assemble the study group, which will then work on their ideas and present findings in 2024. This framework will provide NASA and private companies with valuable insights into the technological gaps that need to be filled for successful lunar missions.
One hurdle is the lack of information. Scientists believe there is water ice on the Moon that could be used for resources like water, hydrogen, and oxygen, which are essential for long-term human presence and rocket fuel production. However, the availability and accessibility of these resources are still unclear. There is also hope that lunar minerals can be used to manufacture space hardware or that valuable elements can be found for extraction back on Earth. In fact, NASA is sending robotic landers and rovers to explore the Moon before planned human landings.
To establish a lunar economy, Nayak’s team is focusing on the basic services required on the Moon, such as power, data transmission, and transportation. Companies participating in the project plan to offer these services. Additionally, three categories have emerged from the initial proposals—an in-depth market analysis, exploiting lunar resources, and construction and robotics.
Another project led by Nayak, called LOGIC (Lunar Operating Guidelines for Infrastructure Consortium), aims to create shared technology standards for different companies. For example, multiple organizations plan to build satellite networks around the Moon, and a shared protocol for accessing data would streamline operations. Similarly, standardized connections to lunar power plants would ensure compatibility. Initially, the result of this planning will be seen when one NASA contractor pays another to complete a mission—for example, a robotic surveyor operated by one firm utilizing the infrastructure provided by another.
Intuitive Machines, a publicly traded company, is set to launch the first private mission to the Moon this year. While its main objective is to demonstrate a safe landing, the company has gained revenue from private companies like Columbia Sportswear for their assistance in developing spacecraft insulation, as well as carrying artwork by Jeff Koons. Intuitive Machines’ CEO, Steve Altemus, hopes to shift the revenue ratio from 80% government contracts and 20% commercial deals to a more balanced 60-40 ratio once the company establishes itself on the Moon.
The essence of DARPA’s strategy session is that once there is evidence of the technology capable of generating profits on the Moon, investors will follow suit.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
