Space tourism threatens tranquillity of moon

Astronomers are concerned that a lack of legal protection for the lunar surface means that private firms could hamper scientific research.

We do not have long to safeguard the best place within our reach to find true peace and quiet, away from the noise of human civilisation, scientists have warned — before space tourists and private companies ruin it for astronomy.

On the far side of the moon, shielded by trillions of tonnes of rock, no radio signals from Earth can penetrate. In craters at the poles, no sunlight has hit the bottom for aeons.

If observatories were built here, away from the cacophony of our planet, astronomers think they could be able to unravel some of the mysteries of the universe, but only if billionaires do not get there first.

Dr Martin Elvis, an astronomer from Harvard University and co-chair of the International Astronomical Union said: “Having people on the moon enables us to do great new things that will make today’s best telescopes look like toys.”

However, he added, “The activities of humans can actually disturb the very environment that we’re going there for. So we’ve got this balancing act and at the moment there is no balance, because there’s no protection for science at all on the moon.”

The moon has the potential to be humanity’s orbiting laboratory. Not only could astronomers operate without the ubiquitous interference found when on or in sight of Earth, but the water ice deposited at the poles potentially contains a record going back millions of years.

Its scientific prospects are at risk, though, from its growing commercial potential and the fact that the moon is at present largely lawless. With private space companies competing to put landers on the lunar surface, Nasa investigating bases at the poles and plans to set up orbiting satellite networks, the worry is that extraterrestrial infrastructure could be constructed without considering how it could coexist with research.

“There’s a rush of companies and states who might want to get in on the act on the moon,” said Elvis, who added that there were also other concerns. “There’s a desire there from the billionaire class, ‘Oh I would love to spend a week on the moon’. And you don’t need many billionaires to start adding up.

“If they go without coordination, then it’s a mess. We could well lose these unique opportunities to do science on a scale that we couldn’t possibly imagine.”

One of the most exciting possibilities is the use of the far side of the moon for radio astronomy. As all signals from the Earth are blocked, telescopes would, Elvis said, have the sensitivity to see into the so called “dark age” of the universe, after the big bang but before stars had formed.

Already there are plans under way that may shatter that peace. As moon bases are set up, they will need communication and navigation provided by orbiting satellites. Although the satellites would work on frequencies that should not interfere with the astronomy Elvis has in mind, if their electronics are not shielded properly it could be enough to ruin the site.

Elvis said that there is a brief window to “get this right”. He and his colleagues want to work with space agencies and companies to ensure that a region of the electromagnetic spectrum is protected for science. He also wants to do the same for territory. The prime spots on the moon are the permanently dark craters. They are great for some astronomy and are also crucial for bases as they contain water ice.

“The big question is, who decides whether a site is going to be for astronomy or for water mining?” he said. “What’s to stop some country or company coming along saying ‘Well, I don’t care, this is my favourite spot for digging and water mining, so I’m going to do it.’ And there isn’t really an answer to that that’s definitive right now.”