After three years, NASA and the US Department of Energy declared it will solicit ideas for the construction of nuclear power facilities on the moon, while China declared it would like to construct a lunar base using lunar soil within the next five years.
By 2028, the US effort should be well underway, according to Steve Johnson, director of Idaho National Laboratory’s Space Nuclear and Isotope Technologies Division.
China Joins US in Pursuit of Moon Settlements
Both US and Chinese space programs are reportedly prepared to place probes close to the crater this year.
The programs are now running apart from one another, but China and the United States should continue to communicate.
Both the Chinese Chang’e 7 probe and the US Intuitive Machines 2 (IM-2) probe will drill up to one meter (3.3 feet) below the surface close to the Shackleton crater and analyze samples taken from the moon.
Moreover, each probe will carry a hopper to search for signs of water iced in locations that are always dark, like as the crater floor.
Without the expensive requirement to transport people all the way from Earth, the ice could be utilized to manufacture oxygen and hydrogen, which could then be used to produce air, drinking water, and fuel on the moon itself to support manned exploration.
Read more: Ukraine Colonel Rejects Allegations Of Russia Poor Equipment As TikTok Propaganda
China’s Ambitious Lunar Mission
By 2028, a basic lunar research station will be built as part of China’s lunar missions, which began with the unmanned lunar orbiter Chang’e 1 in 2007.
China has already stated that it intends to use nuclear energy to power the manned lunar colony.
The United States and China might compete with one another for resources that are naturally available on the moon due to their comparable schedules and aspirations.
The moon is thought to have abundant natural uranium, thorium, deuterium, and lithium sources of waste-free nuclear energy.
China’s moon missions, which started with the unmanned lunar orbiter Chang’e 1 in 2007, will result in the construction of a fundamental lunar research station by 2028.
Nuclear energy will be used by China to power the manned lunar colony, according to previous statements.
Due to their similar schedules and objectives, China and the United States may fight for resources that are naturally present on the moon.
It is thought that the moon has abundant, naturally occurring sources of lithium, deuterium, thorium, and waste-free nuclear energy.
Read more: Unveiling The Titanic Shipwreck: Unprecedented Detail Revealed Through High-Resolution 3D Scan