This year will mark a turning point in humanity's relationship with the world. moonas we begin to lay the foundations for a permanent presence on its surface, paving the way for our natural satellite to become an industrial hub—one that will lead us to Mars and more.
Developing a lunar economy focuses on three important factors: the ability to get there, the means to refuel for the return journey, and businesses operating profitably on the lunar surface. And by 2025, technology in all three areas will finally begin to take clear shape.
For nearly a decade, the giants of private space exploration—SpaceX And Blue origin—was locked in a race to the moon. SpaceX's newest rocket, Starship, is at the center of this effort. At nearly twice the height (121 meters versus 70 meters) and three times the width (9 meters versus 3.7 meters) of its predecessor, the Falcon 9, Starship is certainly comparable in size—but it's also designed to change the way we think about the travel space. Unlike traditional rockets, which are used once and then discarded, Starship can be reused for multiple flights and can even be refueled while it is in orbit. Its increased power means it can transport around 100 tonnes of payload to the moon in one trip – roughly equivalent to all the payloads sent to the moon in history combined, but in just one trip. trip.
Traditional rockets can only carry approx 0.1 percent total take-off weight to the moon, but Starship, with refueling capabilities, can yield about 2%. Picture this: If a traditional rocket were a moving truck, it would be like using an 18-wheeler to transport a suitcase. With Starship, the cost per ton of payload delivered to the lunar surface plummeted, making lunar missions more affordable.
Not far away is Blue Origin. Blue Moon lander. While it may be smaller than the Starship, with a capacity of nearly 3 tons, Blue Moon is designed to provide the infrastructure and heavy equipment that will transform the moon from a barren outpost into a base prosperous industry. Together, these vehicles are laying the foundations for a nascent lunar economy.
By 2025, SpaceX plans to fully demonstrate Starship's capabilities, including orbital refueling and reusability — cutting lunar transportation costs and making the moon more accessible ever. This is part of an ongoing series of orbital test flights, starting in 2023 and continuing through 2024, with a follow-up in 2025.