An astronaut explains our new era of space travel.

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The last time humans stepped foot on the Moon was 1972. We plan to go back, but with one huge difference: This time, we plan to stay.

If we establish several permanent outposts on the Moon, we can more deeply explore the secrets of the lunar surface as well as learn how to utilize the Moon's resources.

This is important because we can't take everything we need with us when we leave Earth. Learning how to be self-sufficient is crucial for establishing a colony not only on the Moon but also on Mars.

Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/videos/living-on...

This video was created in partnership with Maxar.

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About Robert Curbeam:

Robert Curbeam is a former astronaut and naval officer, and a graduate of the US Navy Test Pilot School and Topgun. He has flown in space 3 times, logging over 900 hours, 45 of which were spent doing 7 spacewalks to build the ISS. He's currently SVP of Space Capture at Maxar, where he leads business development for the company's civil, national security, and commercial space portfolios.

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