The race has begun to protect the lunar surface: from bases to mining

Astronomers are calling for urgent protection of sites on the moon considered the best in the solar system for cutting-edge instruments designed to unlock the mysteries of the universe

These prime locations are not subject to ground vibrations, protected from noisy Earth broadcast signals or from deep cold, making them uniquely suited to sensitive equipment that might otherwise make observations impossible from other locations, The Guardian writes.

But these pristine sites, known as sites of extreme scientific importance, are under threat of destruction from a coming wave of missions such as lunar navigation and communications satellites, Mars rovers and mining operations, and experts have warned that protecting the valuable sites is “ urgent matter.”

According to The Guardian, Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon, described the landscape he stepped onto as “magnificent desolation.” The Apollo landing sites were particularly soft, which was, of course, NASA’s intention. The sites were chosen in part because of the smoothness of the surface and the absence of disturbing hills, cliffs and craters.

But over the past two decades, exploration of the Moon has provided a richer picture of our natural satellite. Moon pits that serve as skylights lead down to lava tubes large enough to accommodate lunar bases that would naturally be protected from cosmic radiation by overhanging rocks. Deep craters at the Moon’s poles contain deposits of ice that provide valuable water, oxygen and hydrogen. Some of them are bordered by high ridges that capture the sun’s rays needed to generate solar energy all year round. Mixed in with all this soil and rock are all sorts of other valuable resources: titanium, aluminum, helium-3, precious metals and rare earths.

It’s no surprise that space agencies and private companies are planning bases, scientific experiments, and mining on the Moon. Given its size—the lunar surface is nearly three times the size of Antarctica—overpopulation may seem like a distant problem. But there are few prime locations on the Moon, and the lion’s share of missions, given other activities, is expected to go to Earth, which is ideal for scientific experiments.

For researchers who want to protect sites of extreme scientific importance, or SESI, the first priority is agreeing on which sites need what protection. “It is critical that scientists wake up to the fact that these potential scientific assets are at risk and that they need to proactively identify them as worthy of protection,” said Dr. Alanna Krolikowski, a political scientist at Missouri University of Science and Technology and co-author of a study on the risks to SESIs. , published Monday by the Royal Society.

The report calls for a multifaceted approach to protecting SESI. At the national level, it states that protection should be written into space policies developed by governments, which can authorize and regulate activities and implement best practices. This is most relevant for countries that are planning flights to the Moon in the near future.

There are currently two major international efforts underway to set rules for lunar activity, but so far neither has focused on protecting Sesis, the report adds. The Artemis Accords, an agreement between the United States and countries that are partners in the American Artemis lunar exploration program, define “safety zones” around installed equipment but say nothing about protecting sites beyond those of historical interest. However, the agreements allow private companies to mine the materials for profit. Whatever the Artemis agreement decides, Russia and China, which are collaborating on a lunar research station, have no plans to sign, The Guardian claims.

The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space is making a second attempt to control the Moon. Its new working group is developing rules for extracting natural resources from celestial bodies, and it is hoped the group will expand its remit to include SESI.

Whether this will happen, and whether it will happen soon enough for astronomers, is another question. “We need SESI protection for about half a decade to prevent important forms of irreversible damage,” Krolikowski said. “It’s really important to move beyond the usual suspicions of established space states and reach a truly global consensus.”