E&M

2022/2

Clelia Iacomino Mattia Pianorsi Aristea Saputo

To the Moon for Interplanetary Exploration?

The creation of a permanent outpost on the Moon will require the construction of infrastructure, both in orbit and on the surface, aimed at supporting the human presence on the Moon. The use of local resources will constitute the fundamental factor for the emergence of a commercial Moon market starting from the extraction and refinement of ice for the production of propellant. The activities of exploration for the identification and valuation of ice reserves will have to be supported by public funding, while the demand for propellant, water, and oxygen may make mining initiatives – even private ones – more economically and socially sustainable.

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