Science and Space

space and astronomy articles.

Let’s go back to the moon.

There are plenty of reasons to go back to the world we abandoned 30 years ago—some fanciful and futuristic, others quite practical.

At the more practical end, the moon offers unique opportunities for scientific research. Going there is the only way to figure out where the moon came from, for example. Current theory says it was blasted from Earth in a collision with a planet-size object billions of years ago, but the moon rocks we have in hand from the Apollo missions don’t offer enough mineralogical clues to prove or refute the idea.

The moon would also be a terrific place to build astronomical observatories. With no atmosphere to interfere with precision optics, it offers both the clarity of outer space and a surface solid enough to support enormous structures.

Another good reason to go is the one disdained by straight-to-Mars boosters: learning how to live off the land—manufacturing some of what we need from soil that contains oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, magnesium and titanium, plus a dusting of helium, hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon deposited by solar winds.

To some dreamers, the presence of silicon, especially, suggests a way to make a return to the moon pay—and maybe even save the environment back home. If you could set up automated lunar factories to extract the silicon and turn it into solar cells, the moon could become a solar power station, beaming clean energy via microwaves back to Earth.

posted by: kyawoo at 19:54 | link | comments (2) |
moon

Comments:

#1  20 March 2005 - 21:22

 

I totally agree! Was sad how space to a back seat as the shuttles became popular. As a child, the world seemed to more forward at light speed and then boom, everthing grinded to a slow crawl. We should have already stepped onto another planet by now!

Anonymous

#2  08 April 2005 - 20:42

 

I believe that colonizing the moon will soon be found to be the most cost effect way to move space exploration and scientific examination forward. Scientific advancement will demand a more efficient format through which to expand their studies and an "Interantional Space Station" is not the answer.

Aheadau

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