Lunar town, tourists and oxygen production: what are the Japanese plans for the moon

In recent years, the leading space powers have noticeably intensified in relation to the moon. Bold projects are announced to resume flights to our satellite, and even to organize a lunar settlement. Russia, the USA, the European Union and China have been working in this direction for several years, and now Japan is making bold plans for the exploration of the Moon and even intends to establish a whole city with a population of 10,000 by 2040.

The other day, the Japanese company Ispace announced that in 2020 it would send the Hakuto-R orbiter to the moon. The device will be sent using Falcon rockets of the American company SpaceX. And by 2021, two interconnected lunar rovers will be launched onto the satellite, which will study the surface. In addition, the company expects to provide space cargo shipping services, because, according to experts, the surface of the moon will soon noticeably revive.

By 2040, the Japanese company plans to organize on the surface a whole lunar city called "Moon Valley", in which, in addition to research facilities, industrial modules will be located, as well as objects of the tourism sector, because earthlings who want to go into orbit and the moon already abound today. Moreover, the Japanese company plans to produce oxygen and hydrogen from moon ice.

The industrial exploration of the moon promises to open up great opportunities for earthlings. There are valuable minerals such as iron, titanium, and helium-3 isotope reserves. The latter is especially interesting from the point of view of its use as a fuel for thermonuclear power plants.