Boffins fear superpowers will contest a nuclear World War 3 in space after India landed on the moon.
Eggheads are warning China, Russia, India and the US are hell-bent on mining its dark side.
It contains minerals and ice that can create weapons and provide the fuel needed for long-haul space travel.
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Experts also predict battles over colonisation rights on the moon and Mars.
Dr Dimitra Atri, an astrophysicist at New York University Abu Dhabi, said about unmined resources of ice on the lunar surface: “Since agencies around the globe are thinking about establishing permanent human bases on the moon, ice can help with habitation and be used to produce rocket fuel for missions to Mars and elsewhere.”
Last month, India made history, becoming the first nation to land a spacecraft at the lunar south pole.
In July, experts warned both Mad Vladimir Putin and China are plotting to build “cosmic” nukes using vital minerals mined from the moon.
The head of UK Space Command, Air Vice-Marshal Paul Godfrey warned Russian and Chinese leaders have been quietly pumping “billions” into space exploration and developing deadly arsenals from drilling in space.
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