Conquering the Moon in Reality and Video Games — On the Occasion of the Launch of Artemis 2

On April 2, the Artemis 2 space mission was launched. Its goal is to deliver astronauts to the Moon. This is preparation for the next stage, which involves landing humans on the surface of the Earth's satellite, scheduled for 2028. If all goes well, it will be the first time humans have landed on the Moon since the 1970s. In this article, we will recall the space race between the USSR and the USA, which led to a number of scientific discoveries and achievements, and also discuss video games related to the theme of lunar exploration.

The Space Race refers to the rivalry between the USSR and the USA, which began with the launch of the first artificial satellite on October 4, 1957, and essentially ended with the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s. Initially, rocket technologies used to conquer space were developed for military purposes. By the second half of the 1950s, the superpowers had already acquired nuclear weapons and needed faster and more effective means of delivering them than strategic bombers. For example, they could be used as warheads for missiles, which are much more difficult to shoot down than aircraft.

Despite the controversial results of the Korean War, the United States considered itself a leader in technological progress. Therefore, the fact that it was the Soviet Union that launched the first satellite into orbit came as an unpleasant surprise to the American government. Following this, President Dwight Eisenhower took a number of actions aimed at overcoming the "satellite crisis," as this period was later called. In particular, the National Defense Education Act, established by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, better known as NASA, came into force.

Participation in the space race for the United States was not just a matter of prestige. It was clear that whoever emerged as the leader in this field would win the Cold War. Satellites, in particular, could be used for reconnaissance, and a simulated nuclear strike from Earth orbit was difficult to detect in advance. As early as the 1980s, under Ronald Reagan, the possibility of shooting down missiles in space was being considered. A system known as the Strategic Defense Initiative (or Star Wars) was created for this purpose, but it was never implemented.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, this was a long way off — the USSR was clearly one step ahead. In particular, Yuri Gagarin became the first person to orbit the Earth, and Alexei Leonov was the first to walk in space. On September 12, 1962, the new US President John Kennedy announced a program to land a man on the Moon. A proposal was made to develop the project with the efforts of both American and Soviet scientists, but Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev declined. He announced the launch of his own lunar campaign.

In particular, numerous probes were launched that orbited the Earth's satellite. For example, in 1959, the Soviet unmanned station Luna 3 photographed the far side of the celestial body, which is not visible from the surface of our planet. However, the most significant achievement was to land a man on the Moon. Soviet scientists failed to achieve this goal — a series of accidents plagued them, so the flights were considered risky and did not receive approval from the country's leadership. It was towards the end of the 1960s that the United States first took the lead in the Space Race. From December 21 to 27, 1968, three astronauts orbited the Moon ten times, and on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon's surface for the first time in Apollo 11. An estimated 500 million people worldwide watched the event live, an incredible feat for the time.

Expeditions to the Moon continued, and a manned mission to Mars was planned, but it never took place. In essence, the first human landing on the Moon proved to be the last major event of the Space Race. But don't think that exploration of space beyond Earth has ceased — new satellites are regularly launched into orbit, rockets are sent to other celestial bodies, and on November 20, 1998, the International Space Station (ISS) was launched.

Conspiracy theorists commonly believe that humans have never actually set foot on the Moon, and that everything we've seen was filmed in movie studios. Stanley Kubrick, who released 2001: A Space Odyssey about a year before Neil Armstrong's mission, is usually credited as the director. Whether you believe such hypotheses or not is up to you. Let us just note that they are not recognized in the scientific and historical community.

Let's move from reality to fiction. The topic of lunar exploration is often explored in science fiction, including video games. Both peaceful exploration of the Earth's satellite and intense wars for control of this celestial body are depicted.

An economic strategy game that can be considered one of the best space games. In The Crust, you take control of a large lunar base. You'll need to establish and automate production chains, extract valuable resources, and fulfill orders from governments around the world. You can even create artificial shortages to profitably sell the materials you have. It's also important to consider the colonists' characteristics, wisely utilize their strengths, pay attention to their preferences, and provide timely treatment. Specifically, you'll need to send people on scientific and rescue expeditions to remote sites.

Year: 2024; Genre: economic Strategy; Co-op: no; Rating: 83%.

This game takes place on an abandoned lunar colony. The protagonist will explore abandoned rooms, venture into outer space, and solve puzzles to progress. In Deliver Us the Moon, you'll also occasionally run out of air. The adventure turned out to be quite atmospheric and reminiscent of the best sci-fi films of the past. In our top list of the best story-driven space games, we've compiled other projects that focus on engaging stories.

Year: 2019; Genre: adventure; Co-op: no; Rating: 83%.

A very specific space game that won't appeal to everyone. However, it's worth mentioning for the purposes of this article. Real Moon challenges players to search for specific points on the lunar surface using only a photograph of the area as a guide. The project is praised for its realism and highly accurate depiction of the lunar surface, which is based on topographic data from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The problem is that Real Moon will quickly become boring, even for space enthusiasts. But you might want to give it a try for an unusual gaming experience. It's worth noting that the project is completely free.

Year: 2025; Genre: simulator; Co-op: no; Rating: 67%.

In this Anno game, after reaching a certain level of development, you can build a base on the Moon. There, you need to mine Helium-3 gas, titanium, and creeprock, which contains many heavy elements. Water, necessary for the colony's functioning, can be obtained from the ice found on the moon's surface.

Year: 2015; Genre: city-building simulator; Co-op: no; Rating: 73%.

You are cast as an astronaut trying to restore order to a lunar colony after a meteorite crashes. Time is running out, so you'll need to act quickly. You need to think through every action and use robots and other gadgets wisely. If you want, you can complete missions in Moonbase Alpha with friends. If you enjoy co-op games, we recommend checking out our top best co-op games.

Year: 2010; Genre: adventure; Co-op: yes; Rating: 73%.

The Command & Conquer: Red Alert series is set in an alternate history where the USSR and the USA, and later Japan, began warring against each other. The sixth mission of the Soviet campaign in the Yuri's Revenge expansion for the second game takes place on the Moon. The mission is memorable not only for its unusual setting but also for its strict resource limitations. There's simply nowhere to get them, so you have to use what you have wisely from the start.

Year: 2001; Genre: real-time strategy; Co-op: no; Rating: 99%.

As with the Red Alert trilogy, the final installments of the Wolfenstein series take place in an alternate world. Specifically, there's a lunar base built by the Germans. The protagonist, BJ Blazkowicz, arrives there disguised as a scientist, obtains the nuclear launch codes, and escapes the colony in a fight. We consider the game itself one of the best first-person shooters released in recent years. Despite its venerable age, Wolfenstein: The New Order plays great even today.

Year: 2014; Genre: first-person shooter; Co-op: no; Rating: 92%.

The second story campaign of this classic 90s shooter is called Lunar Apocalypse. It takes place on a space station and ends on the surface of Earth's moon. The gray landscapes, combined with the eerie music, create the feeling that this is not a cheerful action movie starring a cheerful muscleman, but a full-fledged horror film. However, there are some funny moments, for example, the joke about the staged moon landing theory, which we discussed above.

Year: 1996; Genre: First-person shooter; Coop: no; Rating: 87%.

Artemis 2 is the second mission in the American Artemis lunar program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and prepare for future manned missions to Mars. This mission will be the first time in 50 years that a crew has orbited the Moon in a spacecraft.

Deliver Us The Moon focuses on the atmosphere and survival on the moon's surface.

The Moon is the closest celestial object to Earth, a symbol of the dream of space and scientific progress. It inspires developers to create stories about survival, exploration, and colonization.

Some games contain educational elements, as well as historical references about real events, which helps us learn more about space exploration.

During the lunar space race, the USSR and the USA raced to be the first to reach Earth's natural satellite. This rivalry became a symbol of scientific and technological progress and political superiority. It's possible we'll see something similar in the near future, as China is also planning to land taikonauts on the lunar surface.

Amid the excitement surrounding humanity's return to Earth's natural satellite, it's tempting to fantasize about space bases, active resource extraction, and the conflicts that would surely arise from this. Games allow us to see what happens on lunar bases and why such projects may ultimately be abandoned.