Posts Tagged ‘space’
Living on the moon
Between the launch of Endeavour on STS-127, LRO sending back pictures of the Apollo landing sites, and the 40th anniversary of landing on the moon, I’ve been thinking about space a lot. The other day I was discussing NASA’s future plans with a friend, about the design of the Ares I and Ares V and NASA’s plan to return to the moon. The conversation then went into the establishment of a base on the moon. And saying that struck me as something that’s only in science fiction, a “moon base”. At the time it just seemed terribly absurd.
But then I thought about it and it doesn’t seem so crazy. There have been people living in space stations orbiting the earth since about 1971. First in the Russion Salyut stations and later Mir, then the US Skylab, and now in the International Space Station, which has had a perminant crew since November 2000. A crew that went from 3 people to 6 this past May. At this point I would say we’re pretty experienced with things like building habitations in space and dealing with the effects of micro-gravity on the human body.
So living on the moon really wouldn’t be that much different. In some ways I think it would be easier. The moon has 1/6th the gravity of earth, making tasks like eating and getting around simpler. Also being on the moon would give you places to go. You could put on your suit, step outside the outpost, and go for a ride in your dune buggy, play a round of golf, or watch the earth come up.
The idea is to send up an outpost piece by piece. Basically like single rooms that you could link together to build the place. By now I’m thinking this is totally possible. And not only that, but possible within the next several years. If I ever get a chance to vacation on the moon, I’m taking it! Science fiction is becoming reality.
-Dexter-