Astronomers Voice Concern Over Lunar Commercial Ventures

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Facts

  • Amid this week's launch of NASA's Peregrine mission one — the first in a flurry of probes being sent to the moon's surface by space-faring companies — astronomers have warned that unrestricted access to the moon and its resources could damage important scientific activities.1
  • Astrobotic Technology's lander was NASA's first launch of a commercial lunar payload service. However, this moon-landing attempt was abandoned after the spacecraft suffered a fuel leak just hours after Monday's launch.2
  • NASA's future missions are part of its $2.6B Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which is looking to ultimately build moon bases, search for water and minerals, and mine resources. Scientists are concerned that this activity may disrupt future planned scientific efforts for remote telescope monitoring of the dark, far side of the moon, as well as other scientific endeavors.1
  • With many moon missions lined up over the next few years, and as companies vie for lunar resources, Martin Elvis of the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian, warned of the 'urgent' need to act on decisions that 'will set the tone for our future behavior on the moon.'3
  • Astronomer Richard Green of the University of Arizona said that international agreements to protect the moon's 'unique scientific features' will depend on immediate action.4
  • A 2018 European Space Agency study found that 'celestial resources' could earn revenues between $73 and $170B through 2045, with water and minerals from the lunar surface being used to potentially construct lunar bases.5

Sources: 1The Guardian, 2CNN, 3Indy100 (a), 4Indy100 (b) and 5EL PAÍS English.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Washington Post. It's long past time that NASA makes its return to the moon — this time permanently. With strong private partnerships, lunar exploration can also yield new celestial markets, catalyze innovation, bring back to Earth vital resources, and even set the stage for an even grander venture to Mars. The moon is a logical stepping stone to space colonization ventures that will be vital to human civilization.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Scientific American. There are too many problems on Earth that urgently need to be addressed before space colonization is pursued. Historically speaking the public has not shown much interest in space travel and, therefore, is against splurging on space programs. Advancing the field of astronomy and related fields is important if it's cost-effective, but these commercialized lunar ventures are likely to disrupt even the best intentions of responsible scientific inquiry.

Predictions