Under Trump administration, returning to the Moon regains interest

Washington

DISMISSED by former US president Barack Obama as a place explorers had already seen, the Moon has once again gained interest as a potential destination under Donald Trump's presidency.

Private sector companies in particular are energised by the prospect of future space exploration missions beyond low-Earth orbit, where the International Space Station circles the Earth.

Even though Mr Trump himself has said little about the subject, his close circle and some former Nasa officials have made clear their interest in returning to the Moon by way of partnerships with the private sector.

Billionaire Elon Musk, the president and chief executive of SpaceX, along with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who also runs a rocket compan…