What is the real significance of humans returning to the moon?

The significance of human beings returning to the moon:

1: Vision for innovation

For a long time, one of the reasons why space exploration has attracted people’s interest and invested huge amounts of money is The reason is the human desire to push the limits, whether it is a mental or physical level.

At the same time, space exploration can also exert cohesion and provide a clear vision to promote the continuous development of technology and innovation.

After decades of silence, space exploration is once again seen as a cause that can drive technological development, inspire people to participate in science and engineering, and reflect national glory. Such sentiments prevailed at this year's International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, Australia.

For emerging economies, this incentive factor is particularly important, such as India, Russia and China. It also means that Europe and the United States, which are "well versed" in the field of space exploration, need to work harder. Only then can we catch up.

Australia recently announced that it will establish a space agency, which may bring new opportunities to Australia.

2: Economic and geopolitical advantages

Paradoxically, lunar exploration requires both cooperation and competition.

Even if some countries do not have their own space programs, they can carry their own instruments on spacecraft built and launched by other countries. For example, India's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft has instruments from Sweden, Germany, Bulgaria and the United States.

The reason for the economic competition and the geopolitical competition is that the moon is regarded as unclaimed land. The Treaty Governing Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, signed in 1967, states that “outer space shall not be used, occupied or in any other way appropriated as a Already have it."

On October 24, 2014, the Long March 3 rocket launched the third phase of my country's self-developed lunar exploration project re-entry flight test vehicle from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Source: Gu Min/AAP

However, there are still some incentives for some countries to claim sovereignty over the moon. For example, the moon is rich in helium-3 (an isotope of helium), which is a potential nuclear fusion material and a pollution-free energy source.

This situation is similar to the Antarctic continent in the 1950s, when 12 countries were carrying out scientific exploration projects in this area. If the moon is eventually carved up into areas for research and economic development, then sending a spacecraft to the moon—even if it ends up crashing like India’s Chandrayaan 1—could become an elusive step in identifying those areas. Convincing reasons.

3: The goal is easy to achieve

Evolving aerospace agencies need to achieve their missions, and the moon is an attractive target. Radio communications over short distances (384,400 kilometers) between the Moon and Earth are almost instantaneous (1-2 seconds delay). Two-way communication between Earth and Mars may take more than half an hour.

The low gravity environment and lack of atmosphere on the moon will also make the operation of orbiters and landers simpler.