Sunday, 12 April 2026, 9:59 pm
Press Release: UN News
The historic mission, which set a record during its lunar
flyby for how far humans have ventured into space, was a
significant step towards a return to the Moon’s surface for
the first time since 1972 – as well as laying the
foundation for future space exploration.
The UN’s
advocate for space, internationally acclaimed physicist,
author and broadcaster Professor
Brian Cox told the UN: “It’s not just about
exploration anymore, it’s about making everybody’s life
better.”
Life-enhancing
The Artemis
programme aims to establish a sustainable human presence on
the Moon, explore the lunar South Pole, and test
technologies for future crewed missions to Mars.
“As
we move out into space, the thing to remember is that we are
not escaping the planet, and the planet is not becoming less
important…we are doing it to enhance our lives on this
planet,” Prof. Cox said, emphasising that Earth is the
best planet in the universe for us because it’s where we
evolved.
As the United Nations marks this historic
milestone on the International
Day of Human Space Flight, the UN’s Champion for
Space, Professor Brian Cox, wants to show the world that
“space is no longer science fiction,” but rather an
“important part of all our lives and our
economy.”
Space boosting life on Earth
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Space
technology has the potential to address some of the biggest
challenges facing our planet; these include climate change,
disaster management and sustainable
development.
“More and more of the things we take
for granted here on Earth are becoming part of the
space-based economy,” Prof. Cox
highlighted.
Satellite imagery gives us a clearer view
of the challenges we face on Earth, such as monitoring crop
yields, managing water resources, and tracking deforestation
in real time.
Meanwhile, satellite connectivity can
bridge the data divide by supporting e-learning for isolated
schools or enabling telemedicine in remote
areas.
“It’s not just about exploration anymore;
it’s about making everybody’s life better,” he
continued.
Space for all
The Champion for
Space wants to share his passion for space with the world,
reminding us that space ‘belongs to
everyone.’
Prof. Cox shines a spotlight on the role
of the UN beyond the stratosphere as a convenor, a gateway
to space, and a capacity-builder for nations to peacefully
explore and use space.
“Space brings people together
because there are no borders there,” he
said.
UNOOSA, the UN body for
promoting international cooperation in outer space, provides
a platform for consensus-building among Member States,
including over potentially thorny issues, such as lunar
cooperation, space traffic, space resources, and planetary
defence.
Space savvy
“There has always been
an idealism to space, but it’s not a naïve
idealism,” Prof. Cox emphasises.
He recalls in
particular the 1975 Apollo–Soyuz Mission, a major moment
of scientific and political cooperation between the United
States and the Soviet Union, and the first time a spacecraft
of two nations docked together in orbit.
“It was
unthinkable that the United States and the Soviet Union, as
it then was, would collaborate to dock in space, and develop
technologies for collaboration that we are still using
today,” he said
A UN flag was among the items
exchanged between the astronauts to recognise all
humankind’s achievements in space.
Shared
benefits
“Ensuring everybody can contribute and
benefit ultimately makes our voyage outwards into space
easier,” says Prof. Cox. “It will happen more rapidly if
everybody is collaborating together, and by nature it will
benefit everybody. It’s a new frontier.”
Recently,
UNOOSA along with its partners have helped countries
including Kenya, Mauritius, Moldova and Guatemala deploy
their first satellites, and
as more countries join the
space community, it has assisted emerging space nations in
drafting national space laws that align with international
obligations.
Threat of space junk
Space is
vast, but it is becoming increasingly crowded. In 2025, over
4,500 new satellites were launched, by contrast in 2015, it
was just over 200.
Many space objects fragment and
create new junk, with estimates suggesting there are as many
as 130 million pieces of debris in Earths orbit.
Even
very small pieces less than one centimetre in size can cause
catastrophic damage, threatening to lock us into a “Kessler
Syndrome” where collisions create more debris, leading to a
cascade of further collisions.
As we develop more
infrastructure in space, and come to rely on it more on
Earth, “this becomes more and more of a serious
problem,” Cox warns.
A UN flag on
Mars?
Whilst recognising the practical ways that
space can enhance our daily lives, Cox does not want to
“take the romance away from space”.
The physicist
added that the discovery he would most like to see in his
lifetime would be “another living world.”
He is
“sure there is life out there somewhere,” adding: “I
would not be surprised if there were microbes on many of the
moons in the solar system, and possibly also on Mars. I
would, however, be surprised if there’s any complex life
in the solar system, very surprised.”
In addition to
another Moon landing, he hopes that one day, humans will set
foot on Mars, an opportunity to emphasise that space belongs
to all humankind.
“I hope that when we plant a flag
on the surface of Mars, it will be a United Nations
flag.”
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