Sky News Daily Final frontier: The race to control space
Dec 17, 2025
Thomas Moore, Sky News’ science correspondent, dives into the thrilling realm of space exploration. He reveals the ISS’s 25-year legacy and discusses its impending de-orbit in 2030. The conversation heats up as he contrasts the aerial aspirations of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, exploring their divergent visions for space colonization. Moore highlights the intense US-China competition for lunar dominance and the significance of lunar South Pole resources. Lastly, they reflect on the cultural impact of exploration and the importance of international cooperation.
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ISS As A Learning Laboratory
- The ISS has been an orbiting laboratory for 25 years, teaching us how materials and the human body behave in microgravity.
- That knowledge underpins future missions and helps plan long-duration travel to places like Mars.
Life In Orbit Mixes Work And Wonder
- Astronauts combine heavy work with small pleasures, from experiments to guitar breaks and viewing Earth through the cupola.
- Tim Peake ran 250 experiments in 186 days, showing how intense station life can be.
Closed-Loop Ecosystems Evolve Differently
- The ISS environment is unique and isolated, allowing bacteria and systems to evolve differently from Earth.
- Recycling is essential there, including reclaiming liquid for drinking to avoid costly resupply.