Jared Isaacman has a significant role ahead of him once he’s fully confirmed in managing the American space agency. A pressing issue on his agenda is how to navigate human missions to both the moon and Mars, and he has suggested tackling both objectives simultaneously.
“As the president mentioned, our priority will be sending American astronauts to Mars,” Isaacman stated during his confirmation hearing. “Along the way, we will have the opportunity to return to the moon and evaluate the scientific, economic, and national security interests essential for maintaining our presence there.”
The plan incorporates existing hardware from Artemis II’s Lunar Circumnavigation Mission and Artemis III’s Moon Landing: specifically, the Orion Space Capsule and the Uber Expense Space Launch System. Artemis III will also utilize a human landing system built on SpaceX’s Starship. A recent White House budget proposal indicates that post-Artemis III, the current lunar architecture will be replaced with a more economically feasible commercial system designed to support more ambitious future lunar missions.
In Washington, the traditional approach to assess the advantages of “maintaining a presence on the moon” typically involves forming a committee of experts to deliberate and publish findings. One historical example includes the second Augustine Commission, which concluded that the Bush administration’s constellation program focused on returning to the moon and advancing toward Mars.
However, a more effective way to gauge the lunar surface’s benefits might be to establish a permanent presence there itself. Understanding its true value requires taking tangible steps.
The moon’s significance can be categorized into scientific research, economic prospects, and soft political power.
Two decades ago, Dr. Paul Spudis made a scientific case for returning to the moon, asserting it as a laboratory of extraordinary capabilities and value. “For the past 4 billion years, the moon has preserved the history of the solar system, captured in its ancient dust,” he pointed out.
Without an atmosphere, the moon’s surface has recorded billions of years of impacts and solar activity in its soil.
Moreover, the moon’s far side, shielded from Earth’s electromagnetic interference, is an ideal location for space-based radio telescopes. “This allows observations of the universe at radio wavelengths never seen before,” Spudis noted.
From an economic standpoint, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory highlights key lunar resources including water, Helium-3, and rare earth elements. The moon also holds industrial materials like titanium, iron, silicon, and aluminum.
Establishing a lunar foundation could serve as a platform for businesses to innovate technology for mining and refining these resources. Although transporting everything back to Earth might seem impractical, Isaacman asserts, “We will spark a space economy thriving in low Earth orbit.” The moon and its resources will play a crucial role in this economic landscape.
Finally, Isaacman should regard the establishment of a lunar base as essential for enhancing soft political influence. China, the U.S.’s main competitor, is pursuing its own lunar aspirations. It plans to establish a base on the moon by 2035.
The U.S. cannot afford a situation in which China has a foothold on the moon, while it does not. If America seeks to maintain its global standing, securing its own presence on the moon is imperative.
Similar to the International Space Station, a moon base should be constructed and managed in cooperation with American allies. Countries like Japan, India, Canada, and various European Union nations are eager to collaborate and contribute to the lunar base, enhancing America’s influence globally through such partnerships.
While the vision of sending humans to Mars is undoubtedly exciting, with Elon Musk’s dream of establishing colonies there, the moon represents a more immediate goal that shouldn’t be overlooked. Crews may reach Mars in the 2030s, whereas a moon base could be realized by the late 2020s, potentially symbolizing a significant achievement.
Mark Whittington, who often writes about space policy, has written works like Why is it so hard to get back to the moon?, Moon, Mars, and beyond, and Why is America returning to the moon?.
