[ad_1]
When the first female astronaut walks on the moon, more than half a century after Neil Armstrong took that historic first step, it will likely be heralded as a small step for a woman, but a huge leap for a woman.
But in the halls of the UK Space Agency it will also be marked as the moment when Britain bet on becoming a key player in the next frontier of space exploration: the mission to Mars.
On Tuesday, the UK, NASA and other partners signed a landmark agreement that will govern the conduct of all countries on a joint NASA-led mission to the Moon, which scientists hope will serve as a springboard for further exploration.
The Artemis project aims to return humans, including the first woman, to the moon by 2024, as well as to establish a lunar space station as an experimental center for future space missions. Its goals are more ambitious, far-reaching and multilateral than that first groundbreaking trip, Sue Horne, head of space exploration at the UK Space Agency, told The Guardian.
“Where Apollo was about that first mission to get humans to the moon, this is a plan for a sustained series of missions with the ambition to test technologies so that we can then go to Mars,” he said, adding: “And that. .. it’s like Star Trek, isn’t it? “
The Artemis deal underscored the UK’s commitment “to strengthening the UK’s role in the global space sector, building on our existing strengths in satellites, robotics and communications,” said Science Minister Amanda Solloway.
UK companies are poised to produce a kit vital to the smooth running of the planned Lunar Gateway, which will orbit the moon and act as a support post for astronauts with a laboratory, dormitories and a space garage for rovers and other robots.
Thales Alenia Space in the UK is expected to contribute to the Lunar Gateway refueling system, known as Esprit (European Fuel Supply, Infrastructure and Telecommunications System), a contract worth around € 18 million. Other companies in the UK will also be involved in the construction of the Lunar Gateway’s service module and habitation module, according to the UK Space Agency.
Involvement in refueling could be a commercially smart move for the UK, Horne added. “One of the possible businesses of the future in space is to service satellites in orbit instead of continuing to replace them, and that is why we are interested in refueling,” he said, adding that it would be a step to help potentially prevent collisions. catastrophic in space. debris, known to endanger the satellites that humans depend on.
“As a country that does the right thing, that takes care of things, we want to be involved in that,” he said. “But he’s also looking out for our own interest.”
A key goal for Esprit will be to scan the moon for frozen water, which robot probes suggest exists. Finding it would be key to building future lunar colonies, according to experts. When asked if the mission was the first step in establishing whether humans could live outside of Earth, he replied, “Simply put, yes.”
But in addition to providing new developing technologies and exploring the potential of space colonies, the UK’s participation in a mission that put the first woman on the moon would act as an inspiration for a new generation of scientists here on Earth, Horne said. .
“I was six when I saw the original landing and it was very exciting,” Horne said. “We have made a great effort to encourage young people, particularly girls, to take science and technology subjects, and this will fuel those efforts.”
Children could learn about the exploits of Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut and the first woman to visit the Mir space station in May 1991, and Sir Tim Peake, the first Briton to live on the International Space Station, but the next generation might take a step. In addition, he added: “They could be part of that first cohort that goes to Mars.”
