In the vast, silent expanse of the cosmos, the Moon casts a glow of untapped potential, heralding the dawn of an extraordinary gold rush.

More than just the Earth’s satellite, it’s a treasure trove of rare resources, including the potentially game-changing helium-3, a key to future fusion energy.

Underneath its cratered surface, the Moon harbours rare earth elements and water ice, critical for sustainable space exploration.

This journey by spacefaring nations and the private sector is more than just exploration – it’s a competitive race to unlock the Moon’s secrets.

Dr Dimitra Atri, an astrophysicist at New York University Abu Dhabi, said mining on the Moon’s surface offered the potential for securing resources crucial to the advancement of technology.

“The Moon could potentially provide access to rare earth elements, indispensable for the production of smartphones and medical equipment, as well as titanium for durable alloys used in aerospace and medical applications,” he said. “The presence of precious metals like gold and platinum on the lunar surface could open new avenues for industrial applications. One of the most exciting possibilities is the extraction of helium-3, an exceptionally rare isotope on Earth, which holds promise as a clean and efficient fuel for nuclear power plants.”

But it could be a while before space agencies gain access to the Moon’s untapped wealth, as the technology and legalities needed for lunar mining are still being developed.

US space agency Nasa has plans to explore lunar resources under its Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the surface of the Moon. It hopes to eventually send astronauts to Mars from there by using the Moon as a stepping stone.