Football on the Moon possible by 2035 scientists say
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It's one small step for man, one giant boot in the net for mankind.
With plans for the Artemis Moon mission underway, scientists from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) reckon we may be able to play football on the Moon as early as 2035.
There'd be some big changes needed to the beautiful game to make it suitable for the lunar surface.
So how would a match on the Moon work?
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How do you play football on the Moon?
According to IET scientists the pitch needs to be eight times smaller, would need to be played in four quarters rather than two halves, the ground would need to be netted and the game would need to become a no contact sport.
This is mainly due to the reduced gravity.
The Moon has one-sixth of the gravity we experience on Earth. There is also no wind or air resistance to contend with so the ball will behave completely differently and travel roughly six times further with a single kick.
Fancy a game of Moonball?
What ball would you need on the Moon?
The ball would need to be around 1.5 times bigger and filled with a special foam instead of air so it can bounce.
Because it's very bright on the Moon it would also need to be marked in black and white to avoid glare and so it can be seen properly.
And some good news if you can't get your head around the offside rule - that would be scrapped.
Futurist Brian David Johnson from the IET said:
"With the upcoming 2025 Lunar mission set to make Moon colonisation one step closer, it's only a matter of time until we start to think about how we engineer aspects of our lives nowadays, such as hobbies and sports, for the Moon in the future."
Hmmm. Feels like Moon football could be kinda sweaty
What about the kit?
You wouldn't be able to wear your favourite team's kit on the surface of the Moon. You'd need a flexible airtight suit with a cooling and heating system to cope with the lunar climate.
And if you work up a sweat while playing, the suit would also need to be able to absorb all that excess liquid.
You'd also need a helmet to communicate with your team, the coaches and the referee.
Sounds a lot of work - but at least you could say your match was literally out of this world.
What you do you think? Let us know in the comments