Let's Talk Lunar Resources

In one sense, lunar exploration fires the human imagination for the same reason that people climb mountains: because it's there. The moon, shining above us at night and shifting in its phases, has often been a source of wonder and mystery for people throughout our history. In a more practical sense, however, we look toward lunar exploration to help us work through and solve the knotty problems we face on Earth. The Apollo Program, which landed astronauts on the moon for the first time on July 31st, 1969, was a major leap forward for human space exploration. It also provided a number of technological breakthroughs which would have an impact on all sorts of areas. The moon boot that the astronauts wore became, in time, the cushioning soles of the athletic footwear in use today. Spacesuit fabric design was eventually used to design retractable dome roofing in many sports stadiums. Items like cordless power tools, wearable heart monitors, and solar panels were also spun off of technology that NASA developed for the moon landing.

Moving forward to today, we have made incredible strides towards further exploring our solar system. We have flown by many of the planets in the system, landed spacecraft on comets and asteroids, and are busy planning out the details on sending astronauts to land on Mars. The International Space Station, first launched in 1998 and now comprised of fifteen pressurised modules, is a peak in human ingenuity and engineering. Space exploration, especially lunar exploration, has spurred us to ever-greater scientific heights.

Let's Talk Science's symposiums, Let's Talk Lunar: Why The Moon? and Let’s Talk Lunar: Exploring the Moon People, Technology and Ethics for a New Frontier focus on how space science, driven by lunar exploration among other things, gives rise to exploration of challenges here on Earth as well. Below are a set of thematically grouped resources to give you some background information on the breakthroughs and issues that arise from our exploration of space, as well as an exploration of some of the careers that center on space science and exploration.

Tim Haltigin

Anastasiia Prysyazhnyuk

Nadeem Ghafoor

Let's Talk Lunar - Full Panel Discussion

What's it like to live in space? Check out these resources to find out! 

Since we first launched objects into orbit in the 1950s we have made great strides in exploring the solar system that we call home. Below are some resources on what we've discovered through that exploration.

Check out these resources provided from the Canadian Space Agency as well!

The ways and means by which human beings lift themselves out of the confines of gravity and into the swelling expanse of outer space are fascinating! Below are some resources on the science that we use to get ourselves into orbit and beyond.

The adjustment to living and working in space will entail a lot of work with artificial intelligence. AI will likely automate many of the menial tasks involved with daily human life. The ethics of this situation will involve a lively debate, one which could have far-reaching consequences with how we live and work on Earth as well. Below are some resources that examine the intersection between AI and ethics.

As mentioned in the introduction, space exploration has led to great advances in the technology we use not only for space exploration but also for life on Earth. Below are some resources on the kinds of engineering problems and solutions developed for making our way through the cosmos.

From the Moon, to the inner and outer solar system, and beyond into deep space: humans have been probing the depths of the unknown for decades. Below are some resources on space science beyond the boundaries of human existence.

What about the people who make a living driving forward the limits of human exploration? Below are some resources from the Canadian Space Agency on careers in space, as well as some profiles from Let's Talk Science of the people whose careers take them to the edge of the human imagination.