Just a week into his job as European Space Agency (ESA) chief, Professor Johann-Dietrich Woerner is already dreaming big. His ultimate dream right now: To be able to build an international village on the moon.
Woerner wants to utilise the ESA's €4.4 billion annual budget to build a community on the surface of the moon for space scientists.
"We should look to the future beyond the International Space Station. We should look for a smaller spacecraft in low-Earth orbit for microgravity research and I propose a moon village," Woerner said in an interview with BBC.
The ESA chief is envisioning a village not like that which exists here on Earth. What he has in mind is a community where different countries co-exist and contribute to space research.
"A moon village shouldn't just mean some houses, a church and a town hall. This moon village should mean partners from all over the world contributing to this community with robotic and astronaut missions and support communication satellites," Woerner said.
"We should have international cooperation, without any limitations, with any countries of the world," he added.
Woerner is particularly targeting the "far side of the moon" for his envisioned international village in outer space.
"The far side of the moon is very interesting because we could have telescopes looking deep into the Universe, we could do lunar science on the moon and the international aspect is very special," the ESA chief explained.
He also suggested that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) set its sights first on the moon before venturing to Mars.
"The Americans are looking to go to Mars very soon – and I don't see how we can do that – before going to Mars we should test what we could do on Mars on the moon," Woerner suggested.
