Like many sci-fi dramas, the 1970s TV series Space: 1999 got off to a great start. After a nuclear explosion rips the Moon from Earth’s orbit, Moonbase Alpha and its occupants embark on an exhilarating journey through deep space.
Clearly, it had an impact on Elon Musk when he was younger. He gave it the moniker Alpha in 2017 while speculating about SpaceX’s intentions for a future Moon base. Currently, SpaceX and NASA are collaborating to bring people back to the Moon as part of the US space agency’s Artemis mission. However, the intended lunar outpost has a more practical working style.
The Artemis Accords are a set of joint recommendations for peaceful lunar exploration released by NASA and the US Department of State. 36 countries have joined up thus far, including South Korea, Japan, the UK, Canada, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.
With an equally useful title, China is also leading the effort to establish a base on the moon. With its announcement in 2021, Russia, Belarus, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Egypt, and South Africa are among the signatories of the International Lunar Research Station.
