HUNTSVILLE, Alabama (CNN) -- The best time in the life of a rocket scientist is the time spent standing by a launch pad or a test stand, watching a brand-new rocket go through performance tests.

CNN: R O C K E T M A N

Oxygen could be derived from ilmanite reserves there and water could be extracted to make rocket fuel or sustain life on a base.

CNN: Mining the moon for a nuclear future

Basing Soyuz in French Guiana should give the rocket a new lease of life.

BBC: A rocket abroad - Soyuz in French Guiana