The new space race for a lunar base complete with nuclear reactors will decide the future of Americas national security
As an 8-year-old kid, the Apollo 11 moon landing inspired me to become an astronaut.I was fortunate to realize that dream and enjoyed a 15-year spaceflight career with NASA.
After the success of the Artemis II mission earlier this year, NASA is looking to return again to the surface of the moon.Why?Aren’t we redoing what we did over 50 years ago? Why a lunar base? Why not go directly to Mars? One could even argue that Artemis II was not as eventful as Apollo 8, since that crew orbited the moon 10 times.Legitimate questions.
But what most Americans fail to realize is that the race to get back to the moon is existential.Our national security is at stake. During the Apollo missions, the nation understood how important the space race was.
America and the Soviet Union were in a Cold War that would determine the planet’s future, and beating the Communists to the moon played a pivotal role in establishing Western dominance.At its peak, the agency received more than 4% of US spending.
Today, it receives a measly 0.33%.But the moon’s role is just as crucial today as it was 50 years ago. It’s imperative that we establish a lunar base.
There are scientific reasons for this, but there’s also a strategic reason: Helium-3 (He-3).This vital element is not only ideal fusion-reactor fuel but will also be critical to the future of quantum computing.
Both of those technologies will prove essential to the future of American security. He-3 does not exist in significant quantities on Earth.And we can’t create much of it either.
But it can be found in abundance on the moon.The United States and other countries are signatories to the Outer Space Treaty.This agreement treats the moon much like Antarctica.
It stipulates that no country can claim or own the moon.But the treaty does allow for research and removal of material. This is where nuclear reactors come in.
Besides providing reliable, continuous electrical power, lunar reactors allow the establishment of a safe...