COULD humans live on the moon? The European and Russian space agencies are planning a trip to find out. ESA has announced it will contribute a drill and other instruments to Roscosmos鈥檚 Luna 27 lander, an uncrewed craft set to touch down on the moon in 2020. The probe will search for water and other materials that could eventually support a settlement. Russia鈥檚 return to the moon, following the end of Soviet exploration in the 1970s, has been in the works since the late 1990s, but partnerships with China, Japan and India fell through.
Now Russia has backing from Europe. The new head of ESA, Johann-Dietrich W枚rner, has called for a collaboration to make a settlement on the moon, modelled after the International Space Station. If this first mission is a success, it could be followed by lunar rovers and a mission to bring samples of moon rock back to Earth.
(Image: ESA)
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淩ussia seeks help for moon base鈥�
Advertisement
