The founder of tech giant Amazon said, "It's time to go back to the moon." Riding a resurgent wave of interest in returning to the moon, Jeff Bezos said people could be transported there in the near future.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/P. Semansky
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Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on Thursday unveiled a moon lander mockup created by his aerospace company Blue Origin.
"This is an incredible vehicle and it's going to the moon," said Bezos at a rare media event. "It's time to go back to the moon, this time to stay."
The lander is a robotic ship roughly the size of a small house, which can carry up to four rovers. The company said a following version of the spacecraft could transport people to the moon in the near future.
"Blue Moon can deliver payloads to the lunar surface, host payloads and even deploy payloads during its journey to the moon," said Bezos' Blue Origin company on its website. The lander is expected to launch on reusable rockets.
Jeff Bezos, founder of Blue Origin and Amazon, is considered the world's richest man, according to Forbes business magazineImage: Reuters/J. Roberts
'No infrastructure'
Bezos noted that the lander is only the beginning of a larger project to create greater infrastructure in space.
"The price of admission to do interesting things in space right now is just too high because there's no infrastructure," Bezos said.
Interest in returning to the moon has risen as aerospace entrepreneurs and governments seek the prospect of strategic positions in space.
But reaching the moon isn't easy. Last month, an Israeli startup launched a spacecraft hoping to land it on the moon. However, the spacecraft crashed after the main engine failed during landing maneuvers.
Other companies, such as Elon Musk's SpaceX, have also developed reusable rockets, which are crucial to lowering the costs of space-bound voyages.
Humanity took its first steps in space nearly 60 years ago. Since then, space-based technologies have dramatically enhanced our understanding of the environment. They're even starting to help tackle climate change.
Image: Pew Charitable Trusts
Valuable data
Before satellites were first launched into space in the mid-20th century, we knew very little about the dynamics of our climate. Today, numerous satellites collect information which helps us piece together the story of our changing planet. In 1985, they helped discover the hole in the ozone layer, and data from space remains key to tackling global warming.
Image: Pew Charitable Trusts
Warning system
Some satellites monitor signs of climate change, such as melting ice caps, rising sea levels and amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere. The Jason-3 satellite (pictured), launched in 2016, can make precise measurements of global sea levels, a key indicator of climate change. The data will give us a stronger understanding of just how our oceans are being affected by increased temperatures.
Image: NASA.gov
Caught in the act
Space technology has paved the way for the development of increasingly sophisticated surveying and monitoring tools which can track everything from deforestation to illegal fishing ships and even oil spills. This way, researchers know exactly when and where environmental — and legal — action needs to be taken.
Image: DW/N. Pontes
Tracking natural disasters
Satellites play a vital role in tracking natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires and floods. As well as providing an early warning for those on the ground, they also help authorities track the intensity of the event and understand the scale of the devastation. Monitoring storm systems helps generate better climate models to predict future disasters.
Image: Reuters/NOAA
Space gardening
Growing plants in space has already taught us valuable lessons which can be applied to sustainable agriculture on Earth. Astronauts on the International Space Station have discovered they can use less water to grow vegetables, and China recently made history by germinating a cotton seed on the far side of the moon. As our planet warms, this knowledge could be vital for farmers.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/NASA
The problem with rocket emissions
Unfortunately, space technology has also had a negative impact on the environment. Every time a rocket is launched it produces a plume of exhaust smoke filled with bits of soot and a chemical called alumina, which can build up in the stratosphere and deplete the ozone. Space agencies are looking to lessen their use of "ozone-depleting substances" and are researching more eco-friendly fuels.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/ISRO
...and space debris
There are currently more than 20,000 trackable pieces of space junk in orbit around Earth, including everything from old rockets to bolts and screws. They're not technically part of Earth's ecosphere, but if we're not careful the junk may become so dense that satellites won't be able to function properly and provide us with the data we so desperately need.
