52 DISCOVERMAGAZINE.COM
Invigorated by a renewed fascination
with space exploration, as well as the
emergence of billionaire-backed private
spaceflight companies, humans are once
again shooting for the moon.
Cutting-edge crew capsules, powerful
rockets and the world’s first moon-orbiting
space station could launch a new push
to explore — and eventually inhabit — the
lunar surface. So buckle up: The next
decade is sure to be a wild ride. DAnd this time, to stay.
BY JAKE PARKS ILLUSTRATION BY ROEN KELLYBA
CK
TO
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Luna: The Soviets abandoned
their moon dreams after the
Luna 24 mission in 1976. But
now, Russia has planned at
least five uncrewed missions.
The first, Luna 25, could land
near the moon’s south pole in
2021 to prospect for minerals,
water and other resources that
cosmonauts would need for a
moon base.Chang’e: China’s Chang’e 4 mission made
the first landing on the moon’s far side in
January. Future missions will collect and
return lunar samples, explore the poles for
resources that could be mined and prep for
a Chinese crew of “taikonauts” sometime
in the 2030s.Orion capsule: Astronauts need a reliable
vehicle to commute from Earth to the upcoming
lunar Gateway space station. That’s where
the Orion crew capsule comes in. Developed
by Lockheed Martin, NASA and the European
Space Agency, the spacecraft could ferry up to
six astronauts to lunar orbit by the early 2020s.Crew Dragon: SpaceX’s Dragon cargo
capsule already delivers supplies to the
International Space Station. But starting this
summer, a crewed version of the capsule will
start carrying humans as well. SpaceX is also
finalizing modifications to let Dragon carry up
to seven astronauts (or tourists) even farther,
into lunar orbit.T O T H E MOON AND BACK