RAZOR: How water ice sparked a new era of moon exploration

The Apollo missions marked a historic achievement, with 12 astronauts walking on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. 

But for over 50 years, no human has returned to the moon. Now, a new era of space exploration is taking shape. 

The catalyst for this renewed race to the moon was a groundbreaking discovery: the possibility that vast quantities of water may exist on the lunar surface. RAZOR's Neil Cairns travels to Milton Keynes in the UK to meet Prof Mahesh Anand, at the Open University, who contributed to the discovery of water on the moon. 

The China National Space Administration's Chang'e 7 mission, launching in 2026, could be the most ambitious and complex yet.

It's planned to land on the illuminated rim of the Shackleton Crater, almost at the moon's south pole, to look for water ice and other resources. 

Water on the moon opens the door to building the International Lunar Research Station. 

Chang'e-7 will carry 6 international scientific instruments from Egypt, Bahrain, Italy, Russia, Switzerland and Thailand. Dr. Simone Del'Agnello at the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics has built a laser retroreflector that will help with positioning and navigation on the Moon's surface. 

Private companies are also involved in this new push for the moon. Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, founded in 1985 by spacecraft pioneer Professor Sir Martin Sweeting, plans to launch the Lunar Pathfinder satellite that will be part of a constellation of interconnected lunar orbiters that will provide data-relay services for communication around the Moon. 

The Moon has always been an object of wonder and scientific interest to humanity and these upcoming lunar missions all have a shared dream of redefining humanity's cosmic boundaries.