Much like the wise men and women who spout them, quotes are not blessed with immortality. Famous utterances, therefore, lend themselves to not only new interpretations but also to — some say sacrilegious — alterations. Now that an excited National Aeronautics and Space Administration has announced that it has found evidence of water on the moon, it is perhaps time to twist the famous words of Neil Armstrong — the First Man on the Moon — by a bit. ‘That’s one small drop of water, and one giant step for mankind’ could well be ushered into the Hall of Fame of quotations.

The suggestion is not being made in jest. The discovery of the nectar of life on a lifeless satellite — some estimates say that the moon is hiding between 100 million tonnes to 2.9 billion tonnes of H2O — could be an occasion that is as momentous as the day of the moon landing of July 1969. In the course of these 51 years, humans, as is their wont, have managed to make the future prospects of inhabiting earth rather bleak. Depredations on the planet’s thinning natural landscapes and its finite resources brought about by burgeoning population, unregulated industrialization and, most conspicuously, competition among nation states have necessitated the framing of contingency plans to create new colonies in outer space. The possibility of Homo sapiens setting foot on distant planets — not just the moon — is no longer limited to the realm of science fiction. Advancements in science and technology, fused with the spirit of entrepreneurship among ambitious corporations, have the potential of transforming fiction into reality: for instance, SpaceX, Elon Musk’s private company, has set its eyes on the firmament. But this new reality could well be tainted by old antagonisms.

Human enterprise, history is proof, has its own Achilles’ heel in the form of competition and conflict. Thus Nasa’s announcement of striking water on the moon has, unsurprisingly, been met with acrimony. The Russians, still smarting from their defeat in the Cold War, are on record saying that the Reds got to the precious liquid almost 50 years ago. This sparring could take on even more sinister forms. Space agencies in Europe and China are already nosing around for water on the lunar South Pole. The chances of bonhomie blooming during these expeditions are likely to be slim. Some countries are relying on diplomatic sleight of hand to convince others that they have struck a healthy balance between ethics and commerce. Australia is a case in point. Even though it is a signatory to the Artemis Accords — a pact in which member nations solemnly pledge to uphold the objectives of peace and fraternity during space odysseys — Canberra has had no compunctions about joining the treasure hunt for lunar resources.

Science has reason to believe that the riches space offers to human civilization can surpass the proverbial king’s ransom. Energy, material resources, a home away from home, even contact with alien, advanced cultures — the largesse, greedy earthlings believe, are worth squabbling over. It is this myopic urge to possess, monopolize and exploit that led to the welcome demise of colonization on earth. The fate of man’s trek across the stars will not be different unless humanity learns to understand the difference between exploration and conquest.