Lunar exploration
달 탐사
Sending probes or people to the Moon to study it, and eventually to build a place to stay.
Overview
People have landed on the Moon only during the American Apollo program from 1969 to 1972, and twelve people in all walked on it. After that, no one went for a long time. Now the United States is carrying out the Artemis program with other countries to send people back to the Moon.
This time the goal is not just to visit but to stay. Ice is thought to lie in the always-shadowed places near the Moon's south pole, so there is great hope of getting water and fuel there. Several countries and private companies are also sending landers. But schedules often slip.
An everyday example
If Apollo was a climb that planted a flag and came back, today's lunar exploration is closer to building a mountain hut halfway up the slope.
Why it matters
The Moon is seen as a practice ground and a way station for Mars. Countries compete over who gets to settle in first, and companies that build rockets, landers and spacesuits get a lot of new work.