King warns nations to not exploit the Moon after Trump brags US is ‘profitable’ area race
King Charles sent a poignant good luck message to Canadian Artemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen who represents the Commonwealth on the historic lunar mission
The Artemis 2 flight is about to reach a critical stage(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The King has warned nations not to exploit the Moon after Donald Trump crowed the US is ‘winning’ the space race.
As NASA’s Artemis II mission blasted off Charles sounded a note of caution saying it was vital the ‘Moon remains a beacon of peaceful scientific discovery rather than a theatre of exploitation’.
He said he hoped the voyage – which will return mankind to lunar orbit for the first time in half a century – would show that ‘we must learn from the lessons of how we have over-exploited and polluted our own planet’. The Royal message was sent to Colonel Jeremy Hansen, one of the four crew members who will become the first member of the Commonwealth to enter lunar orbit.
The 10-day mission mirrors Apollo 8’s in 1968. The King sent his ‘heartfelt good wishes’ to Colonel Hansen and said he was carrying the ‘hopes of the Commonwealth and the aspirations of humanity itself’.
Charles launched the Astra Carta initiative in 2023 to promote sustainable, ethical and responsible space exploration. His intervention comes amid mounting US concern that China’s fast-moving space programme will arrive there first and stake a claim to the Moon’s vast natural resources.
It is rich in helium-3, which could be mined for nuclear fusion, as well as rare minerals and metals vital for electronics and batteries such as lithium, platinum, iridium and palladium. Lunar dust contains valuable titanium, iron and silicon.
Extracting water from the Moon could also serve as a stepping stone for exploring the Solar System further as it could be used for rocket propulsion. Artemis II will lay the groundwork for a Moon landing scheduled for 2028.
The King believes space exploration should benefit all humanity while adhering to environmental and social goals. In his letter to Colonel Hansen Charles said: “In 2023, when I launched the Astra Carta at Buckingham Palace, I did so in the firm belief that our stewardship of the planet must now extend to the infinite wonders of the Universe.
“The Astra Carta urges us to navigate the celestial realms with wisdom, foresight and responsibility. Its fundamental principles are not mere aspirations – they are a solemn pledge to future generations.
“They remind us that the cosmos is not a frontier to be conquered, but a shared inheritance to be cherished and preserved. As you orbit the Moon you will carry these principles in the most literal and profound sense.
“In an age when humanity’s reach into the stars grows even bolder it is vital that the Moon remains a beacon of peaceful scientific discovery.”
It came after US President Donald Trump wrote on his TruthSocial platform: “For the first time in over 50 YEARS America is going back to the Moon!
“Artemis II, among the most powerful rockets ever built, is launching our Brave Astronauts farther into Deep Space than any human has EVER gone. We are WINNING in Space, on Earth, and everywhere in between – Economically, Militarily, and now, BEYOND THE STARS.
“Nobody comes close! America doesn’t just compete, we DOMINATE, and the whole World is watching.”
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