While Elon Musk, the organizers of the Mars One mission and NASA are making plans for the first settlements on Mars, others are proposing to master what is closer. ESA considers the Moon as the second home for humanity. They believe that the colonization of a natural satellite of the Earth is an important step towards the conquest of deep space.
The European Space Agency released a video titled "Destination: Moon", which outlined its plans to establish a colony on the little-explored far side of the moon, which is not visible from Earth.
"In the future, the moon may become a place where the peoples of the world can gather to understand their common origins, build a common future and continue to explore the unknown," - said in a video message.
The moon is tied to the earth by tidal forces, which means that one side of the lunar surface is always facing our planet. The surface of this part of the Moon is dotted with numerous craters. One of these "scars" - the South Pole Basin - is considered the largest impact crater in our solar system.
According to scientists, the South Pole Basin was formed about 4 billion years ago. Its diameter is 2,500 kilometers. The crater extends nearly a quarter of the moon's circumference. If the surface of the pool is partially immersed in eternal darkness, then its edge is presented in the form of a mountain range, which is almost constantly illuminated by sunlight.
ESA plans to send robots to the lunar mountains first and then humans. According to the agency, the outer edge of the South Pole basin is an ideal landing site for future colonizers. Experts attribute this to virtually uninterrupted access to solar energy and good views of the area.
Promotional video:
According to the agency, a base will be deployed at this site, similar to today's research stations in Antarctica. In 2009, NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) spacecraft analyzed the chemical composition of material in the South Pole Basin and found traces of frozen water there.
ESA specialists hope to find out where else there is water on the moon and how it got there. The abundant supply of water would help future colonialists to produce rocket fuel from hydrogen and oxygen atoms. This would allow humanity to continue the exploration of the solar system and the conquest of deep space.