More than 50 years have passed since humans last walked on the moon. But starting this year, a series of missions from private companies and national space agencies plan to return, sending us everything from small robotic probes to full human landers.
The ultimate goal? Getting humans to live and work on the Moon, and then use it as a way station for possible further deep space missions.
From private water ice hunting missions to much-needed updates to international lunar laws, here’s what’s next for the moon. Read the whole story.
—Jonathan O’Callaghan
Jonathan’s piece is part of our What’s Next series, which takes a look at industries, trends and technologies to give you a first look at the future. You can check out the rest of the series here.
How facial recognition rules in the US got stuck in a political mess
The US state of Massachusetts has become a hotbed of debate over police use of facial recognition. Lawmakers there are considering a bill that would make a breakthrough on the issue and could set a new tone of engagement for the rest of the country.
Tate Ryan-Mosley, our senior technology policy reporter, reported last week on how the facial recognition government remains in a unique kind of political stasis. That’s because the battle between “abolish facial recognition” and “not regulate it at all” has resulted in an absence of action. Compromises are the only way to go. Read the whole story.
