Comments on: A lunar mountain’s eternally sunny disposition

By: How to Synthesize Water on the Moon? - Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum

How to Synthesize Water on the Moon? - Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:22:34 +0000

[...] days or atmosphere to get in the way like on Earth, and there are parts of the moon where the sun never stops shining. __________________ "The Internet is really, really great…" Avenue Q "And a [...]

By: Gary Ansorge

Gary Ansorge — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:50:51 +0000

kuhnigget:

Means of using the mag rail to accelerate payloads beyond escape earths velocity have been solved. It was just a matter of using single loop, very high current mag. coils in the later stages of the acceleration cycle.
Check out the yahoo special interest group for SSI(space Studies Institute).

ssi_list@yahoogroups.com

Gary 7

By: kuhnigget

kuhnigget — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:23:59 +0000

@gary
I grew up inspired by the dreams (that’s the good kind) of Peter Glaser, Gerard K. O’Neill and others. Time was, “L5 in ‘95″ wasn’t just a fantasy…or so it seemed to a pie-eyed boy from Podunk. I confess I’ve been out of touch with the solar sat research for a while (15 years or so). How have things progressed? Sorry to wander OT.

By: Gary Ansorge

Gary Ansorge — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:01:11 +0000

All of these reasons for returning to the moon have ignored the most COST effective reason. To use lunar resources (O2,Aluminum,Silicon, etc) to build solar power satellites to beam/sell power to an energy starved earth. 90% of all space construction could be met from lunar resources. It’s just HEAVY construction, folks, brick, aluminum and silicon. Only really high tech gizmos need be supplied from earth.

GAry 7

By: kitty

kitty — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 03:46:47 +0000

Shackleton crater? Now there is someone that deserves a crater named for them! I’m taking it the crater was named after Sir Ernest?

By: kuhnigget

kuhnigget — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:06:26 +0000

@ surly

True about the ISS, but then the ISS isn’t exactly a program based on science, but rather geo-politics. The fact we are learning tons about how to do real work in space is an unexpected (Oh, I know, I know!) and ancillary benefit.

Besides, at my lunar colony, there won’t be any “wife and kids.”

By: Slowly but Surly

Slowly but Surly — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:41:22 +0000

@Radwaste says “Manned missions rock for the simple fact that someone of exceptional skill braved the risk and won. ”

True, but that’s not science. Don’t get me wrong… I really love the space program, but I think the space station could have funded a lot of really cool space probes & telescopes.

Are there advantages to humans in space? While its true that were are much better at responding to unexpected events than robots, I strongly suspect that the cost in food, water, air, heating/cooling, radiation protection& so are far out way this advantage. If we crash a probe on Mars, we can cheaply correct the problem and send two more.

If I’m wrong, and there is a scientific advantage to humans in space, I’d really like to hear it!