Posted on 10/27/2021 10:51:03 AM PDT by BenLurkin
The Moon is closer, always has a view of Earth, can exchange signals and deliverables hundreds of times more quickly than can be exchanged between Earth and Mars, and is easier to land on and take off from.
On the Moon, solar power is a tremendous asset... In terms of the “bang for your buck” that you get from the Sun, the Moon is more than twice as efficient.
In terms of the elements that both worlds are made out of, the chemical compositions of the compounds we find, and the isotope ratios of the materials present, the Moon and the Earth have a common history. With the exception of the biological components found in Earth’s topsoil, the composition of the Moon’s regolith is identical to the composition of Earth’s crust.
But if we bring: a self-enclosed structure, the air necessary to fill it, the bacteria needed to properly enrich the soil...Simply crushing lunar rocks to make soil will be sufficient to begin the process of lunar agriculture.
In 2008, researchers went to test out the suitability of using lunar soil to grow terrestrial plants by testing out marigolds. When bacteria were added, the resulting plants were entirely healthy.
Rather than attempt to terraform an entire planet, going to the Moon would give us the luxury of terraforming only the area of interest, a little bit at a time, while we learn valuable lessons that could potentially be applied worldwide. For each world that’s out there, we only get one chance to do things properly. When it comes to the question of terraforming, we’d be mighty fools not to go after the low-hanging fruit first.
(Excerpt) Read more at bigthink.com ...
Well, in about 500 million years, the moon and earth will be closer to the sun than Mercury is now, as it expands into a red star. So we probably need to start working on moving - maybe to one of the moons of Jupiter. Use the moon to launch to Mars, then from Mars to Jupiter.
But the Moon is a Harsh Mistress.............................
just bring lots of “flex seal” start painting the insides of those tubes, = instant air tight shelter
The red giant phase won’t happen that soon. There’s still about 4 billion years to go before that. That said, in about a billion years the Sun will be about 10% more luminous than it is now as it burns more hydrogen and the Earth will be unlivable anyway.
Big advantage is doing your beta testing three days from home. Much easier to get stuff you forgot to bring.
tanstaafl
Prolly not the best idea to do a lot of moon mining. Mars ok but should leave the mass of the moon as constant as possible.
Then we can Sail Beyond The Sunset.
Maybe on a Friday.
L
I would advocate mining the Moon for the materials to build up heavy industry on the Moon. Being able to manufacture and launch spacecraft from the Moon would be a game-changer.
Great reference!
I Will Fear no Evil, as long as there is Time Enough for Love.............
Better check your homeowner's insurance policy.
Whether its Mars or the moon I’ve always thought these people into terraforming were folks who’d just read too much Douglas Adams. Maybe when somebody has made the Sahara Desert or the interior of Australia into something reasonably habitable I’ll take them seriously, but until then just from the stand point of logistics doing it somewhere extraterrestrial looks to me like a giant exercise in wishful thinking.
TANSTAAFL
But will we be Between two Planets?🤔
Will they have Starship Troopers?
L
they may be Orphans of the Sky... or Farmer in the Sky...........
Name the first base Farnham’s Freehold.
L
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