It has become known why the new lunar race has begun

A new lunar race has begun because NASA and a number of other countries' space agencies have become interested in Earth's satellite as a source of ice and helium-3. This is reported by The New York Times.

The publication notes that ice in craters at the Moon's poles could provide drinking water, oxygen, and rocket fuel, while helium-3, extremely rare on Earth, is valued at $9 million per pound. It is claimed that the far side of the satellite could become a suitable location for installing a radio telescope, shielded from Earth's radio interference.

The United States and China have already announced their plans to establish a base near the Moon's south pole, the publication notes.

On April 3, NASA published the first photo of Earth taken from the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II lunar mission. The planet is captured in the shape of a crescent.

NASA's Artemis 2 astronaut mission set off for the Moon on April 1. This happened for the first time in more than half a century. The main goal of the program is to prepare for the next stage: the Artemis 3 mission, which plans to land on the satellite's surface.

The lunar mission launch was originally scheduled for March, but at the beginning of the year it became clear that technical problems forced a delay.