“The environment is completely different, and due to the extreme cold there you could find large amounts of water-ice and other chemistry which is on the surface, and which we could access and use as rocket fuel or in life-support systems to support future human missions we think will go to these locations.”
The ESA is expected to provide several vital components to the Russian lander, including a miniature on-board lab and laser-guided landing systems, which sounds absolutely rad, but not as rad as Roscosmos scientist Igor Mitrofanov’s statement that “The 21st Century will be the century when [the Moon] will be the permanent outpost of human civilization. Our country has to participate in this process, and we have to do it together with our international colleagues.”
For the record, the ESA reckons a base on the Moon might look something like this:
The lander is planned to launch in 2020, with a view for manned missions a decade after. Of course, if the Russian plan to colonise with their European neighbours falls apart, they can always try it again with China.
Image via Collecticon.
Story via RT.
