Americans return to the moon and claim: ‘We will use it as a gas station for the future’

Republican Rep. Mike Haridopoulos, who chairs the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, explained to the New York Post how politicians believe the moon could become a key refueling point, allowing people to be sent further into space than ever before.

The moon as a keyč for a trip to Mars

In the same conversation, Haridopolos emphasized the strategic importance of the Moon, not only as a scientific destination, but and as a logistics hub.

​- There are different types of minerals on the moon, and this could allow us to reduce the costs of creating stronger energy sources. Basically, we think this could be a gas station for space – said Haridopoulos.

​- It is very difficult to break through the Earth’s atmosphere. That’s why you need such powerful, massive engines. “Once you’re out of the atmosphere, it’s much easier to propel you into deep space,” he added.

Artemis II is a ten-day mission that will take humans further into space than ever before, including a flyby around the Moon. It will be the first time astronauts have gone beyond low Earth orbit since 1972, when humans last walked on the moon. The main objective of the mission is to ensure that the life support systems on the Orion spacecraft are functioning properly.

Updated plans and resource mining

According to the latest plans, NASA is targeting 2028 for the Artemis IV mission, when humans should once again set foot on the Moon’s surface, specifically the South Pole. This marks a change from earlier, more ambitious deadlines. The focus has now shifted from the construction of the Lunar Gateway orbital station to the establishment of a permanent base on the surface of the Moon.

Keyč concept of “gas station” lies in the technology of using local resources (ISRU). The plan is to extract water ice from permanently shadowed craters, which can then be separated into liquid hydrogen (fuel) and oxygen (oxidant, but also breathing air) by electrolysis. This would reduce the mass of cargo launched from Earth by more than 60 percent.

Valuable Helium-3

Besides water, the Moon is also rich in other resources.

​- I believe that in a few years you will see astronauts back on the moon trying to research the hydrogen water they call helium-three – said the congressman.

​- Helium-3 is a derivative that you can get from the moon, and it helps to create nuclear fusion. It is a very expensive product to procure on Earth, and there is so much of it on the Moon – he explained.

An expensive program and a new space race

The Artemis program, launched during the first Trump administration, was designed to establish a base on the moon that would serve as the basis for a trip to Mars in the 2030s. However, the program is accompanied by criticism due to the huge cost of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which, unlike the SpaceX Starship, is not reusable.

​- This is not a negligible cost and we recognize it. We will hold off on SLS until the replacement is ready to put us in the position we need for the trip around the Moon and other potential worlds – said Haridopolos.

An additional boost to American plans is the new space race with China, which plans to send its taikonauts to the moon by 2030. This competition accelerated US efforts to establish a permanent presence to secure rights to the Moon’s strategic resources.