Space & Astronomy

Race for lunar resources could turn the Moon into the next 'Wild West'

By T.K. Randall
February 18, 2024 ·  3 comments

Could the Moon become the first off-world battleground ? Image Credit: NASA It might sound like the plot of a science fiction movie, but our closest neighbor - the Moon - has the potential to become a lawless war zone with multiple nations battling for its resources.

Right now, the Moon is extremely difficult to reach. Only one country has ever succeeded in landing humans on its surface, but that could be set to change over the next few decades.

One of the most critical resources on the Moon is water - something that would be required to produce enough oxygen and fuel to sustain a permanent base on the lunar surface.

Beyond that, there are also deposits of other valuable materials that could prove highly lucrative to those with the means with which to access and extract them.Ultimately, efforts to capture and claim territory on the Moon could also lead to conflicts between nations and this could further exacerbate tensions back on Earth as well.

"The consequences for peace and stability on Earth, already tenuous on conventional grounds... could be, and too likely will be, as petrol on to a fire," Professor AC Grayling writes in his new book Who Owns the Moon? which will be published next month.

"There is an all-too-possible potential for conflict between private and state agencies who become very heavily invested in exploiting resources on the Moon."

To combat these issues, Grayling argues that there should be a new international agreement to ensure that countries co-operate and act appropriately with regard to lunar exploration.

In the end, though, it seems as though conflict in space is not just possible, but inevitable.

Source: Mail Online | Comments (3)

Tags: Moon