European Space Agency wants to start drilling on the Moon in an effort to find oxygen and water

The European Space Agency  (ESA) is hoping to start mining on the Moon by 2025. The ESA has signed a 12-month contract with the rocket maker ArianeGroup to study and prepare for the mission which aims to extract regolith, or Moon rock.

Regolith covers the entire lunar surface to a depth of at least 12 feet, as it made up of a mix of clays, glass fragments, minerals and chemical compounds like iron oxide from which oxygen, water and fuel could be extracted.

Many space agencies now believe space mining is crucial for the establishment of permanent lunar bases or colonies.

Dr David Parker, Director, Human and Robotic Exploration at ESA, said: “The use of space resources could be a key to sustainable lunar exploration and this study is part of ESA's comprehensive plan to make Europe a partner in global exploration in the next decade - a plan we will put to our Ministers for decision later this year at the Space19+ Conference.”

ArianeGroup with Arianespace is joining forces with a German start-up, PTScientists, which will design and build the lunar lander, and a Belgian company, Space Applications Services, which will provide the ground control facilities, the communications and the associated service operations.

The company said the mission would not involve sending humans to the Moon, but robotic equipment.

André-Hubert Roussel, CEO of ArianeGroup, said: “This first contract – symbolically announced on the day of a lunar eclipse – is a milestone for ArianeGroup, which has for a long time been working on technological proposals for space logistics servicing.”

“It is also an opportunity to recall the ability of Ariane 64 to carry out Moon missions for its institutional customers, with a payload capacity of up to 8.5 metric tons.

“In this year, marking the fiftieth anniversary of Man’s first steps on the Moon, ArianeGroup will thus support all current and future European projects, in line with its mission to guarantee independent, sovereign access to space for Europe.”