Relevance: GS III (Science & Tech – Space) | Source: The Hindu / Explained
1. The Strategic Shift
Two of the world’s leading private space companies, SpaceX (Elon Musk) and Blue Origin (Jeff Bezos), have deprioritized their long-term goals (Mars colonization and space tourism) to focus on the Moon.
- SpaceX: Targeting an uncrewed lunar landing by 2027 as a stepping stone to Mars.
- Blue Origin: Halting its suborbital tourism (New Shepard) to focus on NASA’s lunar lander contract.
2. Why the Shift? (The Drivers)
- Logistics & Physics: The Moon is only a week away, allowing for real-time communication. In contrast, Mars missions are constrained by the Hohmann Transfer Orbit (a fuel-efficient path), which opens launch windows only once every 26 months.
- Geopolitics (The New Space Race): The US government is pressuring NASA to return humans to the Moon before China. Consequently, NASA is funding private players (via the Artemis Program) to build “Human Landing Systems,” making the Moon the immediate financial priority.
- Tech Maturation: The Moon serves as a “Sandbox.” Companies can test critical technologies like In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)—extracting water ice to create fuel—closer to Earth before attempting the risky journey to Mars.
UPSC Value Box
| Concept / Program | Relevance for Prelims |
| Artemis Program | NASA’s international program to return humans to the Moon (specifically the Lunar South Pole) by the mid-2020s. It aims to establish a sustainable human presence. |
| Hohmann Transfer Orbit | An elliptical orbit used to transfer a spacecraft between two circular orbits of different radii around a central body (like the Sun). It is the most fuel-efficient path to Mars but requires specific planetary alignment. |
| In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) | The practice of collecting and using local materials (like lunar soil or ice) for supplies (fuel, water, oxygen) instead of bringing everything from Earth. |
Q. With reference to space exploration, the term “Hohmann Transfer Orbit” is best described as:
- A specific orbit around the Moon used for landing on the South Pole.
- The most fuel-efficient trajectory to travel between two planets, such as Earth and Mars.
- A gravitational assist maneuver using Jupiter to accelerate spacecraft out of the solar system.
- The orbit of a geostationary satellite that matches the Earth’s rotation.
Correct Answer: (2)
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