The Moon could become the first space industrial center

The year 2025 will mark a turning point in the journey to conquer the Moon, when humans begin to lay the foundation for a long-term presence on the surface of this celestial body, paving the way for turning the Moon into an industrial center. – a stepping stone leading humans to Mars and beyond.

Developing a lunar economy depends on three key factors: the ability to fly to the Moon, the means to refuel the return trip, and profitable companies operating on the lunar surface. This year, technology for all three elements will make significant progress.

For nearly a decade, two giants in private space exploration – SpaceX and Blue Origin – have been competing in the race to the Moon. SpaceX’s newest rocket, Starship, plays a key role. Compared to its predecessor Falcon 9, Starship is nearly twice as high (121 m compared to 70 m) and three times wider (9 m compared to 3.7 m). Not only large in size, Starship is also designed to redefine space travel.

Unlike traditional rockets that can only fly once and then be abandoned, Starship can be reused for many trips, even refueled right in orbit. This powerful rocket carries about 100 tons of cargo to the Moon per trip – almost equal to the total amount of cargo sent to the Moon in history.

Traditional rockets can only carry about 0.1% of their take-off weight to the Moon. This is like using an 18-wheeler truck to transport a suitcase. But Starship, with its orbital refueling capability, can transport about 2%. Thanks to that, the cost of sending each ton of goods to the lunar surface is sharply reduced.

In 2025, SpaceX plans to demonstrate Starship’s full capabilities, including orbital refueling and reusability, which will significantly reduce the cost of reaching the Moon and make the celestial body more accessible than ever. run out of. These demonstrations are part of a series of Starship tests, which began in 2023 and are still ongoing.

In addition to Starship, Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander is also noteworthy. With a carrying capacity of nearly 3 tons, Blue Moon is designed to transport heavy equipment to help build on the Moon, turning this celestial body into a developed industrial center. Blue Moon is expected to make its first flight early this year

Another major milestone in the race to the Moon is planned for late 2025, when NASA’s Artemis II mission is expected to fly a crew around the Moon. This will be the first time humans have gone beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo program (1961 – 1972). Artemis II is the first crewed flight with the Orion spacecraft and NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. This mission also helps prepare for Artemis III, the mission to return humans to the lunar surface in 2026.

Supporting the Artemis program is Gateway – a space station orbiting the Moon and acting as a logistics center. In 2025, NASA is expected to make significant progress when launching and assembling the station’s first modules, including power supply modules, propulsion and astronaut accommodation. The Gateway will be a key factor in making long-term lunar exploration possible.

Flying to the Moon is only part of the puzzle. A sustainable lunar economy also depends on the ability to transport people and materials from the lunar surface to Earth. An important factor for the return trip is the ability to refuel.

The company Starpath is developing the first “gas station” on the Moon with a complete fuel production system that turns icy topsoil into rocket fuel. The system consists of three main components: a fleet of automated vehicles that mine the ice, a treatment plant that heats the ice to extract water, then splits the water into hydrogen and oxygen and liquefies the oxygen, and finally a battery system. The big Sun powers the entire process. In 2025, Starpath will test this technology.

As these technologies develop, the Moon will no longer be a remote and desolate place. Instead, it will become the gateway to humanity’s future in space.