- China's Space Agency and the European Space Agency (ESA) are planning to build a moon base. They hope to mine the moon as well as have moon tourism. They plan to launch other projects from the moon in future. This may be more feasable than building a colony on Mars, initially.
- China is increasingly becoming more ambitious in it's Space exploration aims, and is catching up with America rapidly.
- Japanese scientists have discovered a crater beneath the Moon’s surface that scientists think could one day house a lunar colony.
- The owner of SpaceX and Tesla, Elon Musk, has announced plans to build a moon base using a new rocket system being currently developed.
- He Also plans to colonise Mars, but would use the Moon as a base station for the long trip to Mars.
- SpaceX plans to send two private citizens around the Moon in its Dragon 2 spacecraft in 2018. The company has selected two participants for the mission, which is being funded by Nasa and cash from the citizens.
- Meanwhile, NASA, the American Space Agency, is looking for partners to help them mine the moon.
Moon base projects
China and Europe plan a 'moon village'
Elon Musk plans a moon base by 2022
