Industrial development of the Moon is no longer a fantasy and is becoming a question of the coming decades. Interest in Earth's satellite today is fueled more by economic prospects and geopolitical competition than by scientific curiosity. At stake is access to resources, technological leadership, and the ability to dictate rules in the new space era. What are they looking for on the Moon? The main interest today is focused on the southern pole of the Moon. There, areas with constant sunlight and, more importantly, deposits of water ice have been discovered. Water is not only drinking water for future settlers. It can be split into hydrogen and oxygen, obtaining rocket fuel and components for breathing. Whoever first creates infrastructure in these strategic locations will gain a decisive advantage. Aside from water, other resources are also attracting attention. The lunar regolith contains rare earth metals, titanium, iron, and vanadium. But the main hope is associated with the isotope helium-3. It is extremely rare on Earth, but its concentration is significantly higher on the Moon. Helium-3 is considered a promising fuel for nuclear fusion and is in demand in quantum computing and medical tomography. Who is building the lunar economy? A new space race has erupted over the industrial development of the Moon. The competition is between three main forces: the United States, China, and Russia. USA and the Artemis program NASA is implementing the ambitious Artemis program, whose goal is to return humans to the Moon and create a permanent base there. It is planned that by 2032, a semi-permanent infrastructure will be deployed, and then permanent human presence will begin. The base will be built in the southern polar region. NASA has already signed contracts for the development of lunar rovers and unmanned vehicles worth nearly four hundred and forty million dollars for the construction and supply of the base. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine called this base the ... Read more