Why explore our Moon

Our Moon as imaged by the Galileo spacecraft flying past it on December 7, 1992. Image: NASAMany people think that the Moon is just a gray ball of rock in our sky. Surprisingly, many scientists seem to share this notion. I once had a physicist tell me the Moon is scientifically boring. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. So I wrote this article to summarize the immense scientific and exploratory value of Earth’s cosmic companion.Firstly, consider that the bootprints of Apollo astronauts who walked on the Moon are still there, and can be seen from orbit. Since the Moon lacks an Earth-like atmosphere or running water, its surface stays virtually unchanged for years. This makes our Moon a geological time capsule, including for events Earth forgets.Bootprints of Apollo astronauts who walked on the Moon will stay preserved for decades thanks to the Moon being airless. Image: NASANASA’s Apollo 12 lander descent stage and astronaut footprints as seen from lunar orbit by the Chandrayaan…