Target Moon

I think the next space milestone will be a base on the moon.  That seems logical.  To be sure, it is not as glamorous or adventurous as a mission to Mars, but it is far more practical.

It can be international, along the same lines as the International Space Station.  It goes without saying that a moon base would be an expensive venture, so making it international to defray the cost seems reasonable.  And although there are regional boundaries here on Earth, making for territorial conflict, outer space is a different ball game.  Perhaps the realization of us all inhabiting this one blue dot could lead to a more unified Earth, where war is replaced by the spirit and adventure of cosmic exploration.

Although we have the technology for a manned mission to Mars, there are some problems.  One is propulsion.  It takes more fuel to go to Mars--as well as to return--than it does to go to the moon.  With present day technology, it takes three days to get to the moon.  It takes, roughly, six months to go to Mars.

Consumables are another problem.  A great deal of oxygen, water and food would be required for a Mars’ mission.  In fact, a Mars’ mission would have to be in itself a kind of “mini-base,” because the stay would be lengthy.  The reason is because of the way the planets orbit.  Orbital geometry has to be considered with any voyage to Mars.  Earth and Mars do not orbit at the same rates, so getting there requires launching at the precise time to insure optimization.  Returning home would require the same.  Thus, waiting for the precise “window,” could be six months or more. 

Going to the moon also requires precision in dynamics and computations, but the task is less taxing.  Obviously the moon is in orbit around the Earth; Mars and Earth orbit the sun independently, and the distance is considerable.  So much is dependent on physics.  In going anywhere in space, the aim is not where the object is, but where the object will be.

Let’s concentrate on the moon then.  We’ve already been there, as per the Apollo flights as well as various unmanned probes from different countries.  The technology has been improved, much to the point where what is available now has been referred to as “Apollo on steroids.”

What would be the benefits of a moon base?  Once established, mining would be an immediate benefit.  Even as early as the first Apollo missions, random sampling of the lunar rock showed an iron ore composition of about 8%.  By comparison, what we mine in Minnesota is roughly 3%.  Indeed, there are concerns about diminishing natural resources (lumbar, for example), but metal is not one, assuming we can tap the moon, and perhaps, in time, the asteroids.  To that end, the moon could serve as a staging point to other places in the solar system.  More on that shortly.

Another benefit of mining the moon would be its abundance of helium-3, an isotope of helium that is scarce on Earth.  Although controversial, it could someday provide fuel for fusion reactors, assuming that technology is someday attained.

As to the moon being a staging point, the amount of energy required for launching to Mars, say, would be much less, because the moon’s gravity is only one sixth that of Earth.  A fancy way of looking at this is that the moon’s “gravity well” is much less than that of Earth’s.  To the other extreme, Jupiter has a very deep gravity well.

A moon base would serve to provide an amazing look at the universe.  Since there is no atmosphere, a telescope would have a clear view of the cosmos, like the Hubble does now.  Eventually, much larger telescopes could be constructed.

The lack of lunar atmosphere, however, poses engineering problems that will need to be solved.  Not only will pressurized structures be needed so people can breathe, but there will have to be other safeguards as well.  For one thing, without an atmosphere, the moon has no ozone shield, like here on Earth.  Thus, the dangerous infrared radiation beams down unchecked.  Moreover, the moon is a dead world--no seismic activity, no plate tectonics, and most important, there is no spinning inner molten core.  Therefore, the moon generates no magnetic field, and therefore there is no protection from cosmic rays. These are but some of the problems which will have to be overcome.

But humans have the knack for overcoming problems.  Given a challenge, the challenge is met, head on.  That is the hallmark of our species.  The space program has given us a multitude of gadgets and inventions--Teflon, for example.  The construction of a moon base would require innovation; the real beauty is the technology and invention which would be born out of necessity.

It will require not only determination, but patience.  But as the life form on Vega said to Dr. Arroway in Contact (addressing her understandable impatience), “Small steps, Ellie.”  It remains prudent advice, since small steps can lead to remarkable strides.

I see a world united, with faces full of wonder, like when the first Apollo astronauts landed on the moon.  For an instant, at least, people of the Earth were united as one, with pride in humanity overall.  A moon base could capture the imagination, focusing, perhaps, the fact that humanity has a common bond with the cosmos.

Perhaps, however, I ask too much concerning the bonding of humanity.

But I can hope.


923 Words
Writer’s Cramp Winner
4-13-13