OPENSPACE 24: The Future of Space Exploration | Page 28

dossier
we will go to the moon
(but not to mars yet)
The moon is a short-term achievable goal
for 2030 and could lay the groundwork for
future exploration of Mars.
“Its proximity to Earth and the knowledge we have from
previous explorations makes the Moon the next logical step
for testing the technologies that could eventually send us
to Mars,” said Paolo Ferri, head of the Mission Operations
Department at the European Space Operations Centre
(ESOC).
Several space agencies and private companies have
confirmed their intention of building a human settlement
there. ESA’s Director General Jan Woerner shared in 2016 his
vision of building a Moon village by 2030. This village would
be an open, international community initiative that would
bring public and private organizations together to live and
work on the Moon. “The Moon village should be understood
as an open, international infrastructure that could be used for
scientific purposes, but also for commercial and any other
initiatives that could be beneficial for mankind,” said Ferri.
ESA’s Director General Jan Woerner
shared in 2016 his vision of building
a Moon village by 2030.
With the International Space Station shutting down
over the next decade, some experts see a Moon village
as the next venture for international collaboration on space
matters. “Going to the Moon would only make sense if we
do it through international cooperation as we did with the same way, we don’t have to each go all to the Moon or Mars
International Space Station,” said Manfred Warhaut, former separately; we can go together. This duplication of resources
ESA head of mission operations and RHEA Group strategic will make it harder to make real progress,” said Warhaut.
advisor. “We saw in the past that we don’t need three space Going to Mars, however, seems a dangerous and challenging
stations; we only need one that we can co-utilize. And in the prospect with many technical gaps that make it unlikely to
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