NASA and other private space industries have been focusing on Mars as a new planet to be inhabited by the human race. However, Europe has a more modest goal of building a base in the moon and putting humans there.
The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to set up a base camp at the moon where humans can live. ESA has publicised its intentions of sending astronauts to the moon by year 2030. A video entitled Destination Moon was posted by the agency on its website that lays out the plan where European-developed robots will be sent first to the moon's surface before humans.
ESA's website states that the uploaded video envisions a series of human space missions that starts as early as 2020 that would see astronauts interacting with robots on the moon's surface from the orbit. Eventually, people will see a sustained infrastructure for exploration and research where human beings will work and live for long periods of time. ESA will be putting into practice the teachings of the International Space Station (ISS) to establish facilities similar to those that are seen today in Antarctica. The moon can become a place where all nations can work together in the future.
ESA states that that they will be learning lessons from experiences in maintaining and building the ISS where Tim Peake, a British astronaut, is currently based.
Europe's attempt of putting humans in the moon will not be a competition like the 1960s' space race that led to the Apollo mission putting humans on the moon for the first time. The announcement of ESA may be welcoming other countries to participate like China and Russia for potential explorations plans due to faltering problems in the economy. This new exploration venture will be achieved through a peaceful international partnership. Mission plans include exploration of the moon's unknown territories, robot and human explorations and habitability.
