Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Nasa to put man on far side of moon
Times of London ^ | 3/18/06

Posted on 03/18/2006 4:10:56 PM PST by iPod Shuffle

The Sunday Times March 19, 2006

Nasa to put man on far side of moon Jonathan Leake , Science Editor NASA, the American space agency, has unveiled plans for one of the largest rockets ever built to take a manned mission to the far side of the moon.

It will ferry a mother ship and lunar lander into Earth orbit to link up with a smaller rocket carrying the crew. Once united they will head for the moon where the larger ship will remain in orbit after launching the lunar lander and crew.

The design emerged during a space science conference in Houston, Texas, last week. The plan is part of Nasa’s “Return to the Moon” programme set in motion by President George W Bush two years ago.

Under the project, up to four astronauts at a time will land on the far side of the moon to collect rock samples and carry out research, including looking for water that might one day support a lunar base.

The scale of the missions is much larger than the earlier Apollo programme, which is why Nasa will need two separate rockets to take the mother ship and crew into space.

Some missions will also see manned spacecraft landing in unexplored areas such as the lunar mountains and on the moon’s south and north poles.

John Connolly, manager of Nasa’s lunar lander project, said the system was designed to carry crews to almost every part of the moon’s surface.

“The samples they collect and the research they carry out will help solve many mysteries about the origins and composition of the moon and its suitability as a base,” he said.

The Apollo programme carried out six lunar landings between 1969 and 1972. The feat was a triumph, but the technical limitations of the Apollo craft, plus ignorance of lunar terrain, meant all six missions had to be sent to the moon’s plains.

These regions, all on the near side of the moon, were the only areas known to be flat enough for a safe landing. This has frustrated scientists because the samples collected by the six missions are all similar. They are also thought to be younger than lunar mountain rocks.

The far side — so called because it always faces away from the Earth — was first photographed in 1959 by a Russian probe. In 1968 the astronauts of Apollo 8 became the first to view it directly.

The evidence gathered by such missions was enough to deter any attempt to land because most of the far side appeared to be covered in large craters. Additionally, any craft landing there would be cut off from radio contact with Earth.

Connolly believes, however, that Nasa will be able to overcome such problems by sending a series of robotic probes ahead of the manned missions.

The first of these, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, to be launched in 2008, will map the moon’s surface in detail.

Cameras will photograph the surface, backed by a laser altimeter to create a three-dimensional relief map from which Nasa can identify landing sites.

Then, from 2010, a series of “companion lander” missions will carry out test landings on selected sites to see if they are worth a visit by humans.

The final element will be a system of communications satellites, dubbed the “lunar internet”, so astronauts will be able to relay signals to Earth from any part of the moon.

Connolly said the first humans could arrive as early as 2015, although 2018 was more likely. The agency would then aim to send two crews to the moon each year for up to five years. The programme will cost around £56 billion and may also be used to test technology for any future mission to Mars.

Some have questioned whether the programme will produce enough good science to justify the costs.

Manuel Grande, head of the planetary science group at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, dismissed such fears. “Finding out more about the moon will help us understand where the Earth and moon came from,” he said. “There do not have to be good scientific reasons . . . It’s like going up Everest; we want to go to places like the moon and Mars just because they are there.”


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: astronomy; darksideofthemoon; elonmusk; falcon9; falconheavy; lunation; lunations; moon; moonbase; nasa; pinkfloydwasright; space; spacex; spacexploration; themoon
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-158 next last
To: Names Ash Housewares

Really, really well written.


21 posted on 03/18/2006 4:31:34 PM PST by brivette
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: a_different_conservative
The question is, which man will NASA put on the far side of the mooon? I nominate Ted Kennedy.

Ted isn't qualified.
22 posted on 03/18/2006 4:34:36 PM PST by DoughtyOne (If you don't want to be lumped in with those who commit violence in your name, take steps to end it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: iPod Shuffle

Where is that Kerry / Bill Nelson space suit photo ?


23 posted on 03/18/2006 4:39:19 PM PST by FRONTLINER ( Out with the RINO's , Defeat Mike DeWhine in the primary ! Libby THE LIBERAL Dole is inept !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: iPod Shuffle

The moon sits above the track as the field goes through turn three in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series' John Deere 200 auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., Friday, March 17, 2006. (AP Photo/Phil Manson)


24 posted on 03/18/2006 4:40:04 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Monthly Donor spoken Here. Go to ... https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: thinking
The "Far-side", may be a good place for OBL, and other errant Muslims....

hmmm. How would a Muslim pray towards Mecca if they are on the dark side of the moon?

25 posted on 03/18/2006 4:48:37 PM PST by qam1 (There's been a huge party. All plates and the bottles are empty, all that's left is the bill to pay)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Nice Skagway to nascar


26 posted on 03/18/2006 4:51:16 PM PST by al baby (Father of the Beeber)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: iPod Shuffle
Nasa to put man on far side of moon Jonathan Leake , Science Editor NASA, the American space agency, has unveiled plans for one of the largest rockets ever built to take a manned mission to the far side of the moon.

I thought the aliens gave us specific orders not to set foot on that moon again.

27 posted on 03/18/2006 4:52:55 PM PST by beyond the sea (The definition of a 'Targeted Tax Cut' is ........................ you ain't gettin' it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: beyond the sea
I thought the aliens gave us specific orders not to set foot on that moon again

Their last transmission was fairly clear.


28 posted on 03/18/2006 4:57:50 PM PST by new cruelty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: al baby

hee hee


29 posted on 03/18/2006 4:59:26 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Monthly Donor spoken Here. Go to ... https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: cardinal4

Hello Dahak.


30 posted on 03/18/2006 5:00:35 PM PST by OregonRancher (illigitimus non carborundum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Spruce

"“There do not have to be good scientific reasons . . . It’s like going up Everest; we want to go to places like the moon and Mars just because they are there.”
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

WHY DO IT AT ALL - Climbing Mount Everest does not cost billions of dollars or years of planning !

Send in them 'robots' to 'bring back rock samples', like the Soviets did in the 1970's, in lieu of sending a mannned mission which they could not afford (actually, the Soviet Planners did not want to afford such an undertaking)!


31 posted on 03/18/2006 5:01:30 PM PST by marc costanzo (I admire Katherine Harris !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: a_different_conservative
The question is, which man will NASA put on the far side of the mooon? I nominate Ted Kennedy.

Where do we get a rocket big enough to handle Moby Ted?

32 posted on 03/18/2006 5:05:58 PM PST by xJones
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: new cruelty

Haha.


33 posted on 03/18/2006 5:06:22 PM PST by Hexenhammer ( Oregon: She dies by her own prescriptions)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: KevinDavis

Ping


34 posted on 03/18/2006 5:07:39 PM PST by annie laurie (All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xJones
Where do we get a rocket big enough to handle Moby Ted?

Drowned control to major Ted.
35 posted on 03/18/2006 5:13:38 PM PST by cripplecreek (Never a minigun handy when you need one.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: iPod Shuffle
The first of these, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, to be launched in 2008, will map the moon’s surface in detail.

Cameras will photograph the surface, backed by a laser altimeter to create a three-dimensional relief map from which Nasa can identify landing sites.

We already did this a few years ago with Clementine. Why do we need to do the whole thing over again?

36 posted on 03/18/2006 5:13:51 PM PST by ordinaryguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KarlInOhio
Really? I always thought it was dark all the time on one side. You learn something everyday at FR
37 posted on 03/18/2006 5:15:11 PM PST by Popman ("What I was doing wasn't living, it was dying. I really think God had better plans for me.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: ordinaryguy

You get 2 for 1 glossies on this trip.


38 posted on 03/18/2006 5:15:31 PM PST by new cruelty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: cripplecreek
Drowned control to major Ted.

If there's a hell for bad punsters, you are doomed!:D

39 posted on 03/18/2006 5:16:30 PM PST by xJones (A computer beat me at chess once, but it couldn't match me in kick-boxing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

Comment #40 Removed by Moderator


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-158 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson