The prime locations are free from ground vibration, shielded from Earth's noisy broadcast signals or profoundly cold-making them uniquely well-suited for sensitive equipment capable of making observations that are impossible from elsewhere.
But these areas, known as sites of extraordinary scientific importance (SESIs), are in danger of being ruined by an imminent wave of missions such as navigation and communications satellites, rovers and mining operations, with experts warning that safeguarding the precious sites was now an "urgent matter".
"This is the first time humanity has to decide how we will expand into the solar system," said Martin Elvis, an astronomer at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Massachusetts. "We're in danger of losing one-of-a-kind opportunities to understand the universe." At least 22 international missions are set to touch down on the moon by late 2026, with half heading to sites near the lunar south pole. More will follow, including commercial and civil landers, while two moon bases, one led by the US, the other by China and Russia, are expected to be operational in the 2030s.
This story is from the March 25, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the March 25, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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