The space race that marked the Cold War era is starting again. The target is our satellite, the Moon.
In the coming years, many rockets will be launched towards the Moon target. But the targets for the Moon are different this time. Many countries want to reach the Moon, both manned and unmanned. Some countries, such as China, have even launched unmanned vehicles. The most important detail is that none of these are reconnaissance and observation missions. We now know more clearly what we want and what awaits us, compared to our previous visit. One of the reasons we go to the Moon is some important resources such as Helium-3 and Metal.
With this, space tourism will also be starting. Our world's billionaires will be brought back and forth as tourists, thanks to reusable rockets. One of the benefits of this is that it provides a source of income for the space missions to be made.
Also, just like the International Space Station, establishing a base on the Moon where astronauts can live and work, and having a permanent settlement on the Moon is another goal that awaits us in the future. With these initiatives, the Moon can act as an intermediate stop, that is, a station, for long-term space journeys to be made in the future. This is where most of the missions to the Moon in the next 10 years will serve this purpose and will inform us how we can make it possible.
We said that some important sources draw attention on the Moon, but will only those who can reach the Moon benefit from these sources? The critical question is who owns these resources? The 1967 United Nations Outer Space Treaty states that no nation-state can have rights on the Moon. And more than 100 countries, including the countries engaged in space travel, are signatories to this treaty. Some of the clauses in the treaty are as follows:
-All countries are free to explore and use outer space.
-No country can have sovereignty and similar rights in outer space.
The purpose of these articles is not to turn outer space into an invasion or war zone, that is, not to transform it into an environment of interest. When you think about it like this, it is very correct and logical, but the billions of dollars spent by many countries cannot be in vain. Some issues related to space are not clear yet. I think that as our relationship with space develops in the future, many arrangements such as the Outer Space Treaty will be implemented.