Is The Moon The Stepping Stone We Need For Mars?

Getting someone to outer space was just the first leg of the space race. This was followed by trying to get someone on the moon, but things have taken a relatively back seat in recent years. After all, no one has set foot on the moon since December 1972, and there have been few plans to get humans back up there. That is until now.

The latest part of the race is the one getting to Mars, with many making plans to start a new colony and potentially move a chunk of civilization to the Red Planet. However, getting there won’t be easy, especially as it’s never been done before. So, is the moon the stepping stone we need for Mars? New plans certainly make it look that way.

A new mission to the moon will provide much-needed answers

It’s been 50 years since humans last walked on the moon. Now, that could be all set to change, as NASA’s Artemis 1 mission is set to see a team return to the place we haven’t been for so long. However, they’re not just going to the moon to have a good time. Instead, they’re taking the Orion spacecraft, a rocket that will take humans further into space than ever before. It’s also set to take a person of color and woman to the moon for the first time, but that’s not all. Orion should be about to give us some major answers. For one, it will be filled with equipment that NASA can use to determine just how much water and hydrogen stores there are across the moon, among other things.

The moon could be used as a stepping stone to Mars

It’s no secret that the moon is closer to Earth than Mars, but how close is it? So far, it takes three days for someone to reach the moon. That’s compared to the seven months scientists expect it would take to reach Mars, taking a round trip up to 500 days. Getting a crew to the moon could mean that traveling to Mars would be even quicker as they will already be part of the way there. Then comes a part of the Artemis 1 mission. Scientists want to determine if space water found on the moon can be used as rocket fuel. If it can, they won’t have to worry about sending enough fuel for the mission to Mars, as they can use the moon as a pit stop along the way.

Gateway will be the first space station to orbit the moon

The Artemis 1 mission is one of the biggest adventures NASA has created in decades. Another part of it all is to set up Gateway. While it won’t be going up with the rocket, the idea is that it will be the first space station to orbit the moon. The Artemis 1 mission should lay the ground for Gateway to become a reality, especially once they have done tests on conditions and supplies lying across the moon. Once Gateway is in place - something that’s expected to launch no sooner than November 2024, astronauts will be able to stop at the moon for supplies before traveling on to Mars.

The Artemis 1 mission is set to launch on August 29 and could mark a major turning point in the race to getting to Mars. While there’s a chance we won’t reach the Red Planet until the 2030s or ‘40s, using the moon as a stepping stone to get to Mars could see things speed along faster than ever before.