More than half a century after the last stay of humans on the Moon, in 1972, the space race is now relaunched, and in the absence of adequate protection, the Moon is at great risk.
As the United States and China compete to be the first to land their crew on the moon by 2030, the Outer Space Treaty ratified in 1967 is no longer enough.
This text which guides human activities in space must be revised in order to prevent this return to the Moon from irremediably degrading our only natural satellite, a precious object of study for many scientific disciplines.
The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space has also mandated a working group to study the legal aspects of activities relating to space resources, the final report of which is expected in 2027.
Under the 1967 treaty, no state can take ownership of the Moon. But today, States no longer have a monopoly on space activities. Private companies such as SpaceX or Intuitive Machines are participating in the adventure by manufacturing launchers and moon landing devices. Others, like ispace, are interested in lunar resources.
However, the provisions of the treaty are much vaguer with respect to commercial activities carried out by the private sector, for example mining on the Moon, both necessary to power future lunar installations and useful to obtain an additional supply of certain raw materials required on Earth.
In addition, the private sector is expected to play an important role in establishing permanent installations on the Moon, one of the goals pursued by both the Americans and the Chinese. Which raises the question of the appropriation of lunar resources.
Humans’ next steps on the Moon risk turning into a giant leap for the private sector, but a step backwards for the quest for knowledge.
Among the resources of interest is helium-3, a potential energy source. The Moon also contains rare earths, very useful in electronics, as well as, under its poles, ice, from which humans could obtain not only water, but also oxygen and hydrogen.
Hence the need to plan protective measures now to prevent our natural satellite from turning into the wild west. Because on a scientific level, it still has a lot to teach us.
On the Moon, the absence of oxygen allows vestiges of the history of the solar system to be preserved since its formation four and a half billion years ago. A heritage that must be protected at all costs.
Currently, the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) provides international coordination for all space projects. But with the return of humans to the Moon, the risks of drift are very tangible, and scientists are seeking to prevent them.
One of the measures envisaged is the designation of sites of particular scientific interest, a bit like nature reserves on Earth. A way to protect the Moon from terrestrial contamination and prevent the destruction of places rich in learning. In concert with COSPAR, a group of experts established three categories of sites to be preserved in the name of science.
With its areas sheltered from the Sun’s light, the far side of the Moon tops the list, especially at the poles, where the ice could still contain traces of compounds capable of telling us about the origins of life. Hence the importance of intervening before the start of sampling for exploitation purposes.
The second category of sites includes areas favorable for astronomical observations, suitable for the deployment of instruments such as telescopes or gravitational wave detectors. To guarantee the quality of observations, these places must at all costs be protected from dust, vibrations and even radio waves. It is therefore essential to immediately prohibit any activity other than scientific.
The last type of sites concerns unique sectors that must be protected from any degradation in order to better study them, such as lunar lava tunnels, these channels which allow one to go beneath the surface of the Moon and which could be destroyed by mines or different installations.
Even the lunar landing sites for future missions must be chosen in such a way as to preserve the integrity of areas of interest to science.
As humans prepare to return to the Moon, we need clear, well-defined protection measures. And science has its say. Otherwise, humans’ next steps on the Moon risk turning into a giant leap for the private sector, but a setback for the quest for knowledge.
