US plans for Moon base

BBC ^ | December 5, 2006

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

US plans for Moon base

US space agency Nasa says it is planning to start work on a base on the Moon after astronauts begin flying back there in 2020. The maps and graphics below show how and where man could live on the Moon.

Nasa scientists say the best approach is to develop a solar-powered moon base and to locate it near one of the poles of the moon - such as the Shackleton Crater near the South Pole.

The poles offer moderate temperatures, high percentage of sunlight which means greater potential for solar power and more opportunities to launch.

Nasa says they are also exciting options as they are not as well known as other areas and offer "unique, cold dark craters".

Nasa wants to have returned to the moon by 2020, with 30-day residential missions by 2024, increasing to six months by the end of that year.

Nasa says the global space community has identified six key aims for lunar exploration:

• to extend human presence to the Moon to enable eventual settlement.

• to pursue scientific activities that address fundamental questions about the history of Earth, the Solar System and the Universe.

  MOON TIMELINE 2008: Launch Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter 2010: Last Space Shuttle missions 2014: Deadline for Crew Exploration Vehicle 2020: Return to Moon

• to test technologies, systems, flight operations and exploration techniques to reduce the risks and increase the productivity of future missions to Mars and beyond.

• to provide a challenging, shared and peaceful activity that unites nations in pursuit of common objectives.

• to expand Earth's economic sphere, and conduct lunar activities with benefits to life on the home planet.

• to use a vibrant space exploration program to engage the public, encourage students and help develop the high-tech workforce that will be required to address the challenges of tomorrow.

By 2025, Nasa hopes to have developed the capabilities required to enable further steps into space - possibly expanding lunar exploration and/or manned missions to Mars.

(1) The heavy-lift Ares 5 rocket blasts off from Earth carrying a lunar lander and a "departure stage" (2) Several days later, astronauts launch on an Ares 1 rocket inside their Orion vehicle (CEV) (3) The Orion docks with the lander and departure stage in Earth orbit and then heads to the Moon (4) Having done its job of boosting the Orion and lunar lander on their way, the departure stage is jettisoned (5) At the Moon, the astronauts leave the Orion and enter the lander for the trip to the lunar surface (6) After exploring the lunar landscape for seven days, the crew blasts off in a portion of the lander (7) In Moon orbit, they re-join the waiting robot-minded Orion and begin the journey back to Earth (8) On the way, the service component of the Orion is jettisoned. This leaves just the crew capsule to enter the atmosphere (9) A heatshield protects the capsule; parachutes bring it down on dry land, probably in California

[bmwcyle]

We can't get into orbit consistently any more. I hope we don't kill the brave people who go.

[catman67]

Great! If the Chineese build theirs first, it means that we can get take out when we get there!

[JamesP81]

A moonbase would be neat, but everone is ignoring the elephant in the room of deep space interstellar exploration.

Propulsion.

If you want see other stars and other worlds, rockets aren't going to cut it. Neither is any other sublight propulsion system. Research should be into determining if lightspeed can be exceeded and, if it can't, if there's a way around that barrier. We will never leave our solar system until that problem is solved.

[US Navy guy]

More wasted money.

[Condor51]

In ten years the moon will be full of illegals from Mexico - doing the jobs some lazy American Astronaut refuses to do.

[Old Professer]

Where are they going to launch it from, all of Florida is supposed to be under water by then, isn't it?

[Old Professer]

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[Unmarked Package]

Although not mentioned in this article, the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) has an interior volume 2.5 times the volume of the three-man Apollo capsules used for earlier lunar missions.

In the Apollo lunar missions, two astronauts descended to the lunar surface in the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) while one astronaut stayed onboard the Apollo capsule orbiting the moon.

The Orion CEV will carry four astronauts to the moon and all four will descend to the lunar surface while the empty Orion orbits the moon under robotic control. That doubles the man-hours of work and exploration possible on the lunar surface.

Furthermore, the Orion CEV will be designed to support missions up to six months long eventually.

[Frank_Discussion]

"I wonder where the Muslim Prayer Rooms will be?"

On the screened-in porch, hopefully.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Then they'll have to make a new ship for traveling to Mars, and it'll have to have stronger shielding from radiation, too. Even from a solar flare.

[Centurion2000]

Can someone explain why we're not taking the materials to build a real base out of local materials?

That "base" is a micro or meteorite accident waiting to happen.

When on a vaccuum surface and planning to live there ... DIG IN.

[taxed2death]

...wouldn't it be cheaper if we just rented from the grays?

[USS Alaska]

This would be a perfect place to re-deploy our troops from iraq. Easy access to saturn and mars.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Is that some space alien?

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1748778/posts

Above URL is humor about the moon base!

[Constitution Day]

When on a vacuum surface and planning to live there ... DIG IN.

[Holicheese]

That was funny!

[RightWhale]

to expand Earth's economic sphere

That one is BS. That is to say, Total Bull.

If someone wants the economic sphere expanded he needs to repeal the Treaty and duck.

[taxed2death]

Us in the future, Parallel time line. http://www.eaglesdisobey.net/wm_corner.htm

[Holicheese]

I wonder if it will be Moon Base Alpha like in Space 1999.
That show rocked!