Soon it will be Chuseok, when the full moon will rise. So today (the 18th) I want to talk about the moon.
The first person to set foot on the moon was the Apollo 11 captain Neil Armstrong.
In 1969, humans were the first to leave a great footprint on the moon.
A total of 12 people went to the moon for the next three years, but no more people went to the moon after Apollo 17.
I decided there was nothing more to gain.
But after 50 years, humanity is preparing to go to the moon again.
The Artemis Project in the United States is exactly that, so why the hell do you want to go to the moon again?
In conclusion, to build a base on the moon.
Humanity is heating up space exploration, but fuel problem is always hitting a wall.
Since the Earth's gravity is strong, most of the spacecraft fuel launched is used to escape the Earth.
We don't have enough fuel to go to another planet.
If you build a base on the moon, you can use it as a space station or launch spacecraft from the moon.
The moon's gravity is only one-sixth that of Earth's, so the same amount of fuel can travel much farther.
However, in order to build a base, people must live on the moon, and for that to happen, water is essential.
Water makes it possible to grow crops and produce food.
So can we get water from the moon?
The full moon in the sky looks yellow, is it hot or cold? Both are correct.
The temperature on the moon's surface varies by 300 degrees from minus 173 degrees to 127 degrees Celsius, but even in the same place, the temperature difference is extreme.
Although there is a difference from the Earth due to the different atmospheric pressure, water boils at about 100 degrees and evaporates and disappears, so basically there is no water on the moon.
But there is a slightly different place. That's the Moon's South Pole.
Unlike the Earth, the Moon's axis of rotation is straight, not tilted.
This creates permanent shaded areas where the sun never shines, with nights ranging from 100 meters to several kilometers, and the temperature can drop below minus 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
There can be water in it, either in liquid form or in ice form.
Already, scientists have made several expeditions and have found molecules that appear to be water in this area.
If you can squeeze it out and turn it into water, the moon's water problem will be solved.
Korea is also participating in the Artemis project.
In August of next year, the Aerospace Research Institute sends a probe to the moon, which orbits the moon like a satellite to take pictures.
The rover is equipped with a special camera that can also take pictures of dark shaded areas of the moon.
It's looking at what the terrain is like, whether it's possible to land, and whether it's a structure that can hold water.
Here, the astronomical research institute sends a lander to the moon with NASA.
It is planned to mount magnetic field and radiation measuring equipment and a three-dimensional imaging camera.
The Artemis Project, named after the goddess of the moon in Greek mythology, aims to send people to the moon in three years.
It is led by private technology, not the state, and there are women who go to the moon for the first time.
"It's a small step for a man, but a great leap for mankind." That's what Neil Armstrong said the moment he took the first step on the moon.
After more than 50 years, humankind is visiting the moon again for a new leap forward in space exploration.
(Video coverage: Kim Hyun-sang·Harung, Video editing: Won-hee Won, CG: Kang Kyung-rim·Seung-hyeon Seo, screen provided: NASA Aerospace Research Institute)