The Lunar Economy – Unlocking Access to the Solar System

As the NASA-led return to the Moon swings into action over the next decade via Project Artemis, this overview paper considers the prospects for a new “lunar economy” emerging from the 2030’s. If Moonbases can be established and viable resource utilisation begun, with public and privately funded research stations and lunar tourism occurring, the Moon could act as a “testbed” and an enabler for interplanetary travel beyond to Mars and then across the wider Solar System. The exploration of the Moon and its resource utilisation would focus on the availability and viability of polar water ice resources, solar power usage, hydrogen and oxygen extraction for air and fuel via In Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU), plus research into rare minerals present in the lunar regolith and their possible extraction. The viability of helium 3 mining, possible high temperature annealing of metals and 3D printing using lunar dust is noted. With plans in place to move forward with NASA/ ESA/JAXA’s “Project Artemis” and the orbiting Gateway station, plus private initiatives making use of SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s lunar landers, cheaper access to the lunar surface will evolve. Considering the actual ownership of the Moon and lunar resources, international clarification is required – many consider that the 1967 Outer Space Treaty background needs restructuring and the gap in resource ownership and exploitation law needs new international agreement. It is considered that the lunar economy could prosper via lunar ice ISRU, possibly making use of fuel and oxygen availability for onward travel from the lunar surface, perhaps via “mass drivers” to lunar orbit. Spacecraft might then refuel initially for lunar-Earth travel. Technology development for lunar landing systems and surface habitation will enable future deep space lunar-Mars trips and eventually Mars-base settlements, with travel across the Solar System gradually evolving. Keywords: Lunar Economy, Project Artemis, Moonbases, ISRU, Lunar Ice, Space Tourism, Lunar Regolith, Lunar Observatories, Newspace, 3D Printing, Helium 3, Space Law, Lunar Gateway Station, Starship HLS, Blue Moon HLS, Lunar Mass Drivers, Mars Colonies