The Future of Lunar Exploration

The moon has remained untouched by humans for more than three decades but that may change soon. In 2004, President George W. Bush vowed to send astronauts to the moon by 2020. However, the trip will be more than just another moon exploration -- it will serve as the launching pad for a more extreme lunar expedition that will establish temporary residences on the moon. The astronauts will build living quarters, power plants and communications systems and launch explorations to Mars from their moon base.

A circa 1958 artist's impression of space travel: a Lunar Liner designed to transport people to and from the moon. How close are we to this futuristic dream?
­Evans/Three Lions/Getty Images
A circa 1958 artist's impression of space travel: a Lunar Liner designed to transport people to and from the moon. How close are we to this futuristic dream?

And it's no longer just governments involved in the space race -- a number of wealthy entrepreneurs also want their shot at glory. The Internet company, Google, has offered up a $25 million prize to the first person who can send an unmanned spacecraft to the moon. To win the Google Lunar X Prize, entrants must not only land a craft on the moon but also travel 1,640 feet in a lunar rover and send back high-resolution video and photos from the surface of the moon.

At least one company is planning to sell trips to the moon to wealthy would-be astronauts. Space Adventures offers tourists trips aboard a modified Russian Soyuz spacecraft. The adventure, which also includes a stay at the International Space Station, can be had for a mere $100 million.

Moon Simulations

To get ready for the next trip to the moon, NASA scientists have been simulating the harsh lunar environment in the most unforgiving place on Earth -- Antarctica. They've tested out housing units that look like high-tech versions of carnival moonwalks. Each inflatable unit provides 384-square-feet of insulated, heated and pressurized living space. Tests will show how well these structures might hold up on the moon.

In NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, scientists have also been experimenting with grains of moon dust (collected during the Apollo 17 mission) to see how the dust behaves, how it might damage sensitive equipment and find out if it harms astronauts' lungs.

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