The Eagle Returned: Geopolitical Aspects of the New Lunar Race

ABSTRACT After 50 years, the Moon is becoming a center of attention in the geopolitical competition among space powers. The planned lunar settlements to take place starting in 2025, or soon thereafter, will hold geopolitical considerations and impacts. This paper highlights and summarizes factors that will affect the process of lunar settlement in the context of the importance of lunar poles. The poles include the location of key resources – permanent sunlight for power generation and water – for the state actors involved in the settlement projects. Access to these resources will influence relations among the actors. The paper points to the need to participate in the lunar settlement process for state actors not to be left behind or in a disadvantaged position for access to key resources. Further discussed is the geopolitical context concerning settlement of the geographically advantageous polar regions, primarily the south lunar pole. If this is undertaken by adversarial states, a space power, dependent on the outcome of that competition, would be limited in its own efforts to develop an independent settlement.