American and Chinese lunar colonies may be just a decade away – but there are some serious risks.
A senior scientist has detailed plans for long-term lunar bases and why there is a danger you may have missed.
After a long period of largely ignoring the Moon, NASA is working to massively upgrade its lunar efforts.
The US space agency is currently halfway through its Artemis missions to allow astronauts to visit the Moon easily and regularly.
But the ultimate goal is to have a permanent presence in our small, rocky neighbor.
“By 2035 – just 10 years from now – American and Chinese rockets will be able to transport humans to long-term lunar bases,” he said Martin Elvis, senior astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Institution.
“Both bases are planned for the same small areas near the south pole due to the near-constant solar energy available in this region and the rich source of water that scientists believe can be found in the darkest regions of the Moon nearby.”
These areas of the Moon that never receive sunlight give hope for a large supply of frozen water to supply human bases.
This can be used for drinking, washing dishes and farming, Martin said.
And it will save on the high cost of transporting water through space, from Earth to the lunar surface.
When humans are on the Moon permanently, it will pave the way for major advances in lunar science.
DARK SIDE OF THE MOON?
But there are also some big risks to science in dumping giant colonies on Earth’s rocky satellite.
For example, it could affect the ability of lunar telescopes to function properly.
“The rush to build bases on the Moon could interfere with the same conditions that make the Moon so attractive for research,” explained Martin.
The Moon – our closest neighbor explained
Here’s what you need to know…
- The Moon is a natural satellite – a space body that orbits a planet
- It is Earth’s only natural satellite and the fifth largest in the Solar System
- The Moon measures 2,158 miles in diameter, approximately 0.27 times the diameter of Earth
- Temperatures on the Moon range from minus 173 degrees Celsius to 260 degrees Celsius
- Experts assumed the Moon was another planet until Nicolaus Copernicus outlined his theory about our Solar System in 1543.
- It was eventually assigned a “class” after Galileo discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610.
- The Moon is believed to have formed around 4.51 billion years ago
- The strength of its gravitational field is about one-sixth that of Earth’s gravity
- The Earth and Moon have “synchronous rotation”, which means we always see the same side of the Moon – hence the phrase “dark side of the Moon”.
- The Moon’s surface is actually dark, but it appears bright in the sky due to its reflective soil
- During a solar eclipse, the Moon almost completely covers the Sun. Both objects appear to be similar sizes in the sky because the Sun is 400 times larger and farther away
- The first spacecraft to reach the Moon was in 1959, as part of the Soviet Union’s lunar program.
- The first manned orbital mission was NASA’s Apollo 8 in 1968
- And the first manned lunar landing was in 1969, as part of the Apollo 11 mission.
“Although the surface of the Moon is larger than that of Africa, human explorers and astronomers want to visit the same places that are just a few kilometers in size.
“But activities that will help sustain a human presence on the Moon, such as water mining, will create vibrations that could ruin a gravitational wave telescope.”
A gravitational wave detector – which is extremely sensitive – could learn more about how black holes are born and change over time.
Martin also points out that the Moon has elements that are “extremely valuable” on Earth: “Liquid hydrogen and oxygen are precious rocket propellants, and helium-3 is a rare substance used to improve quantum computers.”
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But he warns that one of the places rich in helium-3 is where humans might want to set up telescopes to see signs that could reveal the “Dark Ages” of the universe before stars or galaxies formed.
He adds: “Finally, there are at least two constellations of Internet and GPS satellites planned to orbit the Moon within a few years. Unintended radio emissions from these satellites could render a Dark Age telescope useless.”
Whatever happens on the Moon, Martin stresses that it is important for everyone to “share the Moon” fairly.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
