Posted on 01/18/2020 9:14:41 PM PST by BenLurkin
Lava tubes don’t seem protective enough of Earthlings.
Lots of hydrogen (fron the solar wind) and oxygen on the Moon’s sursface.
I’d support a permanent Moon base long before I’d support expending blood & treasure on the dead red planet lunacy.
Very misleading statement.
1. "Lots" is relative.
2. Hydrogen gas (H2) is not present on the Moon's surface, as it would instantly float away (it is, after all, the lightest gas - and the Moon's gravity (1/6th Earth's) can't hold even heavier gases). Have you perhaps conflated it in your mind with Helium-3. That substance - derived from the solar wind - is present, bound electrostatically. The top one meter of the lunar regolith contains an estimated 1 million tons of the stuff - that's an extremely low concentration, but it's value for fusion would warrant mining it.
3. Any hydrogen and/or oxygen present on the Moon's surface exists in bound form - and that's the trick: Chemically extracting it (which this article addresses).
4. Water-ice-bearing regolith suspected at the South Lunar Pole is probably the best prospect at present. The water is present in low percentages, but could be extracted and (if need be - e.g., to obtain O2) electrolyzed.
In my humble opinion, the best bet for powering any such activities would be solar power.
Regards,
THAT was hilarious.
Remember the cartoon show about the little creatures from Munimula? They built a base on Zero Zero Island. Can’t remember the name of it.
The google machine found it:
https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/hanna-barberas-ruff-and-reddy-in-space-on-record/
The hydrogen content of the solar wind is more than “lots” LOL! .
It’s practically 100%.
What is captured on the Moon can be disputed.
Over billions of years...
Water isn’t the only possible product.
Water in Earth’s atmosphere would cover the planet by 15 foot depth.
Need much more Moon dust. Not enough.
With the application of enough money you can make anything out of anything else.
Set up a parabolic mirror, with the stuff to be heated at the focus. With no wind or weather, and one sixth the gravity, the mirror can be built very light, just a micron thickness of reflective foil on a thin scaffolding.
Why? Wish they would quit with these expensive “job security” projects that cost the taxpayers.
Cue the liberals protesting mining on the moon...
Great. Now we need a space truck to bring all that dust to earth.
Windmills?
Probably solar collectors, or would that kill too many
moon bats? Is that a bad or good thing?
Windmills? And kill off moonbats?
Actually maybe a combination solar mill.
I remember getting something like that at the
museum of science and industry in Chicago as a kid.
Going to need a nuclear reactor to provide all that energy. Doable I suppose, but they’re going to have to finesse the politics of it — which is why the Chinese will do it first.
Lunar Geology Checklist
1. moonar dust /CHECK
2. calcium.... ??
I was thinking the same thing.
Everyone knows its abundant in the green cheese.
...as the mining, piling, and crushing are creating clouds of dust that are ruining the natural legacy to our children.
Im pretty good at this. I should launch a new charity...Moon Peace!
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