Abstract

With the first human missions to the Moon in 50 years just around the corner, how do we make way for a new era of space exploration in the 21st Century?

The dawning of the second space race is well and truly underway with many countries competing and collaborating to return to the lunar surface. With over 30 missions set to launch in the next five years alone, the Moon’s population, of both robots and humans, is about to increase rapidly. Both the US-led Artemis program and the International Lunar Research Station, cofounded by China and Russia, plan to use the Moon’s natural resources to support operations; so how do we manage all of these new lunar visitors?

From deciding between mining sites for water and areas to preserve for scientific investigation, to coordinating safe landings and keeping humans alive in a hostile environment 380,000km from home – our return to the Moon is a global affair that requires far more cooperation than what is laid out in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.

Find out about upcoming lunar missions and how we govern space and the Moon in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.