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 ...
I had one volunteer up one year.
The stem was as big around as my leg!..............
There are a number of reasons for using caves and lava tubes. Protection from solar radiation and micro meteorites. The “structure” is already built and we could thus have more space much more quickly and cheaply than building on the surface.
The moon’s gravity is insufficient to hold and retain an atmosphere, which is why it is NOT a candidate for terraforming.
Who wrote that article?
Mars, itself is somewhat insufficient to hold and retain an atmosphere. It would be a challenge. However, it is thought to be doable.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is one of my favorite books. Now, they could create an independent enclosed environment, but that is not terraforming. Domes, underground bases, etc. could provide habitats for man. I’d love to see it.
There is a newer version out that is the original manuscript Heinlein wrote. The published version was shorter because of editors...................
Oops, that was Stranger in a Strange Land................
Yes, as I recall, it would constantly be “losing” atmosphere and so would need constant “topping off”....which makes it “doable” but not perfect.
Make sure you put the solar panels on the sunny side of the moon
The Moon has the added challenge of regolith. It’s extremely abrasive, and behaves a lot like volcanic ash, which is essentially powdered glass. It gets into everything, sticks to everything because it’s charged, and damages everything.
Since there’s actual weathering Mars, the dust is likely to be significantly more manageable, and wont’ be a death sentence to inhale.
With the right government program we can put a stop to that.
“You had one job!”
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