Living on the moon!

After reading several articles about the moon, I thought it would be a good idea to see what it would take to live there and start a new life there. Your opinions are welcome as well:


Living on the moon is impossible without air, water, food, and sun light. These are all things needed to survive here on earth. If you could find water on the moon you would need to filter it and recycle it incase water became scarce. You would need to find some way of transporting large amounts of oxygen to the moon unless you could use plants to create oxygen but how many would you need to do that. As for sunlight, there is only 27 actual days of sunlight on the moon but that’s not enough to grow crops so alternative method is required.


The weather conflict: Temperatures on the Moon are both hotter and colder than those on Earth. In other words, the temperature range is more extreme! The temperature of the moon in the sun is 100 degrees Celsius and temperatures reach a low of -173 degrees Celsius.


Living conditions: you would need to build an underground facility to sustain life, this would control the temperature of the moon to a normal controlled environment. Next you would have to plan on how many people would live at the facility, how large to make it and how many levels. How would you contain trash flow and how many things would be recyclable.


Energy: since there is only 27 days of light the thought of solar power is out of the question. That would mean if there was a large amount of water you would have to create power flow with water or use nuclear or fusion energy something clean.


Attacks and asteroids: Now you will need to find a way of creating a way to keep unwanted things, creatures or aliens out of your entry hatch you will also need to create something to stop incoming asteroids and debris from destroying your point of entry and any vehicles or transportation thus killing everyone.


Security: If you take weapons that support ammo such as 5.56 or 7.62 types, make sure the walls are going to take the rounds coming out so you don’t puncture a hole and kill you all from decompression. The preferred weapon would be tazers that would take down anything and keep the facility intact.


I would also set up computers and servers to run security surveillance inside and outside of the facility running 24 hours a day so if something was outside you could see what it was and also watch the people in your facility.


Transportation: inside the facility you would be able to walk and use stairs. You would want to use as little energy as possible so you could use for other things.
Outside the facility you would want something that would run off solar power, considering you would have to wait till sunlit emerged or something else that could power it like car batteries.


-if anyone has anything to add feel free

Originally posted by texasoutlaw

If you could find water on the moon...

I believe there are signs of ice water nearer the poles of the Moon.

...you would need to filter it and recycle it incase water became scarce.

Water recycling is currently being done on the ISS.

You would need to find some way of transporting large amounts of oxygen to the moon unless you could use plants to create oxygen but how many would you need to do that.

Again, O2 can be broken out of other elements, given sufficient energy and technology...

Which leads to:

As for sunlight, there is only 27 actual days of sunlight on the moon but that’s not enough to grow crops so alternative method is required

Solar panels could collect and store energy. At the poles, just as on Earth, you would have extended periods of direct sunlight, as it would be low on the 'horizon'. A combination of all three...panels in direct sunlight 27 days out of the month, panels at the poles, and energy storage batteries.

The weather conflict: Temperatures on the Moon are both hotter and colder than those on Earth. In other words, the temperature range is more extreme! The temperature of the moon in the sun is 100 degrees Celsius and temperatures reach a low of -173 degrees Celsius.

Again, a better reason for a base (mostly underground, of course) near a pole. Certain mining activities could be conducted, during the 'shoulder periods'...what we'd call dawn and sunset. This would avoid the extremes of cold night and hot day.

Energy: since there is only 27 days of light the thought of solar power is out of the question.

See above.

...nuclear or fusion energy...

Now THERE'S an idea!! We need a good source of 'cold' fusion!!!

Attacks and asteroids: Now you will need to find a way of creating a way to keep unwanted things, creatures or aliens out of your entry hatch you will also need to create something to stop incoming asteroids and debris from destroying your point of entry and any vehicles or transportation thus killing everyone.

Let's leave that to the Science Fiction writers, mmmmkay??

Security:

...*snip*

See above.

I would also set up computers and servers to run security surveillance inside and outside of the facility running 24 hours a day so if something was outside you could see what it was and also watch the people in your facility.

A bit paranoid?? Best defense is the vacuum outside!!!! IF you wish to 'spy' on your staff, then I suggest better screening procedures in the first place!!

You forgot to mention the obvious: It's very likely that the only way to fund such an endeavor would be from a Government. AND that likely entails the Military. NOT a very good scenario, in my book!

-if anyone has anything to add feel free

EDIT to ADD:

Taking this even further, and these are not my ideas, but quite a few good Science Fiction writers have already contemplated...once we begin to see Humans being born on the Moon (likely not in my lifetime) then we get into a whole realm of ethical possibilities. Not just a question of citizenship and passports (although that will be an issue, I think) but actual, physical differences that may develop......

[edit on 6/12/0909 by weedwhacker]

Originally posted by texasoutlaw
As for sunlight, there is only 27 actual days of sunlight on the moon but that’s not enough to grow crops so alternative method is required.

Where do you get this figure from? Given that you don't say how long these days are, and don't state whether you mean 27 days each month, each year or each century, the figure, even if correct, would be meaningless.

One day = one rotational period around the body's axis.
As I understand it, the moon rotates around its axis ~12.5 days per year, each rotation lasting ~28 days.
As with Earth half this time is day, and half night. The difference is that some of the day is turned to night because of Earth blocking the light from the sun.
However, even taking Earth's shadow into account, the moon gets ample sunlight for producing solar energy.


Based on availability of solar energy, a study has been done to find a suitable place for the first moon settlement.

Malapert mountain: Gateway to the moon

The long lunar nights at the equatorial and mid-latitude regions of the Moon place severe limitations on the solar power and thermal management requirements of an unmanned lunar base. A solution to this problem is to locate sunlight-dependent facilities in polar regions where nights can be very short due to chance interactions of lunar topography and orbital mechanics.

Based on analyses of Clementine and Earth-based radar imaging of the Moon, the authors conclude that the summit of Malapert Mountain near the South Pole has the best combination of factors for a sunlight-dependent lunar base. Using a commercial software product, they determined that the Mountain summit receives full or partial sunlight for 93% of the lunar year and always has the Earth in view for direct Earth-Moon communications. By exploiting these optimum conditions, a remotely operated base at the summit could coordinate the scientific exploration of the entire south polar region.

The base could also expedite the development of a permanent utility infrastructure and facilities for human settlement. The authors conclude that the fortuitous and highly advantageous combination of physical factors of Malapert Mountain makes it the optimum site for beginning the human exploration and settlement of the Moon.

Being near a pole would mean having better access to lunar ice to use for water, but it would also mean not having lave tubes nearby to live in.

To settle on the moon, first you have to get there safely.

Spaceflight Radiation Health Program at JSC

During the Apollo lunar missions, astronauts traversed through the trapped radiation belts into the unprotected realm of free space outside the geomagnetosphere. These excursions into cislunar space placed the astronauts at risk of receiving life threatening radiation exposures if a large SPE were to occur. Fortunately, no major solar proton events occurred during these missions.

Standing unprotected on the surface of the moon means exposure to a background radiation of about 60 times that on Earth.

Radiation Hazards to Humans

Intense solar flares release very-high-energy particles that can be as injurious to humans as the low-energy radiation from nuclear blasts. Earth's atmosphere and magnetosphere allow adequate protection for us on the ground, but astronauts in space are subject to potentially lethal dosages of radiation. The penetration of high-energy particles into living cells, measured as radiation dose, leads to chromosome damage and, potentially, cancer. Large doses can be fatal immediately. Solar protons with energies greater than 30 MeV are particularly hazardous. In October 1989, the Sun produced enough energetic particles that an astronaut on the Moon, wearing only a space suit and caught out in the brunt of the storm, would probably have died."

Earth's magnetic field could help protect astronauts working on the moon

"The problem is that we can't predict when this activity (solar storms) is going to take place so we can't warn astronauts to take shelter, so they could be vulnerable when the Moon is outside the magnetosphere," Harnett said. "The particles travel near the speed of light, so when we see them generated on the sun's surface they will arrive in a few minutes and there is little time to react."

Here is a handy primer on the hazards of space radiation:
Primer for Radiation Exposure

Logically, robots would be used initially to construct a landing place and an underground living area.

Japan Dreams of Robot Moon Base in 2025

TOKYO -- Japan wants to help build a lunar base and populate it with advanced versions of today's humanoid robots by around 2025, according to the head of the nation's space agency.
. . .
As part of the plan, Japan would use advanced robotic technologies to help build the moon base, while redeveloped versions of today's humanoid robots, such as Honda Motor's Asimo and Sony's Qrio, could work in the moon's inhospitable environment in place of astronauts, he said in a recent interview.

Japan's lunar robots would do work such as building telescopes and prospecting and mining for minerals, Tachikawa said.

The ideal shielding for living quarters would be the surface of the moon itself.

Lunar Station Protection: Lunar Regolith Shielding

Radiation:
A shield to protect against radiation exposure in a lunar habitat must reduce crew exposure levels from lunar radiation sources (GCR & Solar) to acceptable levels.
. . .
In addition, heavy nuclei GCR particles are stopped by ~10 centimeters of regolith while all other GCR (GeV) particles are stopped by 1000g/cm3 of material which equates to 5 meters of lunar regolith

Thermal:
A shield to protect against the extreme thermal variations on the lunar surface must maintain the lunar habitat structure at a relatively constant and reasonable temperature
. . .
Therefore a regolith shield of

The lava tubes present on the moon may provide ready-made shelter.

Can high-tech cavemen live on the Moon?

He says erecting pressurised tents inside a cave would be easier and faster than trying to construct a rigid structure on the surface. "Instead of assembling structures that have to be meteorite-proof on the surface, or burying them, you'd have tent-like structures inside these tubes," Mardon told New Scientist. "It's like being cavemen on the Moon."

"It's a potentially very inviting place to put infrastructure," agrees Mark Robinson of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, US. He says sections of the lava tubes with roofs still intact appear to be very stable, having survived for 3 billion years or more since their formation.

But he points out that the lava tubes may not be located where NASA would like to send astronauts. For example, the polar regions - which may harbour water ice that could be used to support a lunar base - appear to bear no sign of the ancient lava flows associated with lava tubes.

Present unusually benign conditions may lead us to underestimate the real dangers of radiation in space:

Managing Space Radiation Risk in the New Era of Space Exploration (2008)

Finding 2-4. Space radiation climate. Ice-core studies indicate that the past ~50 years may have coincided with a comparatively benign space radiation climate, in terms of both GCR modulation levels and the frequency of very large SPE events. Of particular concern is the possibility of a six- to eightfold increase in the number of very large SPE events, perhaps starting within the next decade. If such an increase were to occur, it would have a major impact on the design and operation of Exploration systems.

Why we would go back:

Race to the Moon for Nuclear Fuel

Nestled among the agency's 200-point mission goals is a proposal to mine the moon for fuel used in fusion reactors -- futuristic power plants that have been demonstrated in proof-of-concept but are likely decades away from commercial deployment. Helium-3 is considered a safe, environmentally friendly fuel candidate for these generators, and while it is scarce on Earth it is plentiful on the moon.
. . . .
While still theoretical, nuclear fusion is touted as a safer, more sustainable way to generate nuclear energy: Fusion plants produce much less radioactive waste, especially if powered by helium-3. But experts say commercial-sized fusion reactors are at least 50 years away.

The isotope is extremely rare on Earth but abundant on the moon. Some experts estimate there a millions of tons in lunar soil -- and that a single Space-Shuttle load would power the entire United States for a year.

How we could go back:

NASA's Icy-Hot Rocket Engine

Rocket engines don't get much cooler than this. The Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine being developed for NASA burns a mixture of liquid oxygen (-297 degrees Fahrenheit) and liquid hydrogen (-423 degrees). Though the fuels are frosty, upon ignition they generate scorching steam (5,000 degrees) and plenty of thrust: Hydrogen is 40 percent more efficient than other propellants. But because the icy H is pumping through the entire system, the engine nozzle remains cold. As the hot steam condenses on the edges, it refreezes and forms icicles.

The US space agency plans to use the technology when astronauts return to the moon around 2020. "When we go back this time," says Tony Kim, who manages deep-throttling engine development for NASA, "we plan to stay awhile." In addition to the crew vehicle, cryogenic tech will power a 60,000-pound cargo lander that will bring down materials for a base, a pressurized lunar rover, and, of course, a whole lot of Tang.

When we go, where would it go?

Déjà Poo: The Living Machine Sewage System

Picture the lobby atrium of a new, green building, one filled with leafy plants and trees. Now imagine that those trees are growing in waste collected from the building's toilets.

If that idea has the whiff of failure about it, well, sniff again. Increasingly, building designers are managing sewage in-house—really in-house. The Port of Portland, for example, is integrating waste management into the lobby of its new headquarters under construction. The Living Machine uses soil and bacteria to filter out pathogens, essentially turning wastewater into nonpotable water. But the signature element of the system is the plant life that grows up and out of it—right into the lobby. "It's going to provide a kind of greenhouse feel," says Greg Sparks, engineering design manager for the port. "It'll soften the hard edges of the typical office building."

Everybody likes trees, but (aesthetics aside) sending poop from the bathroom to the lobby may seem sort of icky. In environmental terms, though, it's a solid choice. Just as photovoltaics can help take a building off the power grid, living machines take strain off the pipes and municipal wastewater facilities on the "sewage grid." They also show that being green means thinking more creatively about our brown and yellow.

Of course this would not only recycle valuable water and nutritional products, it would also help toward creating a breathable atmosphere.