Going back to the moon

[madazn89]

Hi,

I am doing a research paper on humans on the moon, building a lunar base and ect.

I just want to start this thread so people can pitch in ideas and stuff.

thanks

madazn

 

 

just found out that a process of electolysis could be used to break down titanium oxide found on moon to provide oxygen. :hihi:

[UncleAl]

http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/moon2.htm

http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/nasa3.htm

http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/nasa2.htm

 

Moon Base Chachka

http://www.phobe.com/tp/

[Jay-qu]

what the :hihi: that last link doesnt seem relevant at all - did you do that on purpose?

[CraigD]

There was quite a bit of discussion about this in 9/16/05 thread 3961

 

Welcome to scienceforums, madazn. The search function here is your friend – it’s a good idea to use it to see if the discussion you’re looking for has already been started. :hihi:

[madazn89]

thanks

madazn

i would like to keep this thread alive with ideas and stuff :friday:

[Tormod]

Moved to the space forum.

[madazn89]

thx

[madazn89]

ok

list of things I think are required:

1. food and water

2. source of power

3. shelter

 

have anyone read the article on possibilities of water at poles of moon?

 

I read an article on nasa.gov that said there are traces of ilmenite(titanium oxide) on the moon, what are the ways to extract it, by electric current, heating?

 

Can anyone explain to me how UV detection work to determine minerals on the moon? Does certain minerals reflect certain UV wavelengths?

[Guest jamongo]

First I would like to say I was absolutely thrilled to learn we are going to go back.

 

My question here is this. When the Apollo program was ended, were there any scientific instruments left on the surface which are still active today? For example, anything to measure the number and size of any particles from space that strike the moon's surface. Obviously these would have to be passive devices, (I think). That information would be invaluable to any group that intended to stay for a period of time.

It seems to me it would be a shame if nothjing was left there for the future generations to use.

 

Jamongo

[CraigD]

When the Apollo program was ended, were there any scientific instruments left on the surface which are still active today? For example, anything to measure the number and size of any particles from space that strike the moon's surface.

I’ve read mention that the Apollo missions left nuclear powered (radioisotope thermoelectric) seismometers and magnetometers that continue to function today, registering such things as meteorite strikes, but can’t find authoritative confirmation of this. They also left completely passive retroreflector mirror arrays, allowing Earth – Moon ranging to within about 3 cm. These were part of a package called the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package (EASEP), and later, the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP).

 

As near as I can tell, every other experiment run on the moon was man-operated, so the equipment is now moon scrap. I don’t believe any automatic particle detector was left on the moon – the only reference I can find to any such experiment is the man-operated Apollo 17 CRD experiment.

 

With the big improvements in automation that have been made since the 1970s, I’m hoping that the new missions will place more and better robotic instruments on the moon. Something like a modernized, 2018 version of 1973’s Luna 21’s Lunokhod 2 rover.

[Stargazer]

Except for water and oxygen (which should be possible to extract in situ), food, electricity and shelter, there are other things to consider. One thing is the increased radiation levels. Even if you manage to create sufficient radiation shielding for the base itself or even around its nearby surroundings, it will be difficult to design a space suit that will provide enough shielding for longer excursions, and in the case of a powerful solar flare your life will be at great risk. Then there is the lower gravity which will affect the body. I would guess the effects are less compared to zero-G, but it's still going to be an issue. Maybe training, special diets and food supplements could counter some of the effects, at least in adults. But how will newborn and rapidly growing children do in this environment? Is it perhaps time to adapt humankind so she can live on many worlds, from Earth to small asteroids and zero-G without suffering from it? Is it possible? Is it desirable?

 

Water should exist on the moon in the form of ice, at least at the south pole. There are also peaks of eternal light on the moon at the poles, can't remember which, or if it was both. This could be possible locations for solar powerplants. Water is great not only to make icecubes for the astronauts' drinks but can also be used as rocketfuel. I'm an advocate of nuclear power on the moon though, which would give more power and also would not be dependant on whether it's day or night. For a small base this might not be much of an issue if it's using batteries or make use of the peaks of eternal lights.

[Enescu]

thers people that belive that Hitler with a bunch of scientist

have a lunar base ther since worldwarII:shrug:

[madazn89]

Ok here is my paper:

 

A Lunar Outpost

Humans have always looked up at the stars at night and were fascinated by them. Today, space continues to fascinate people and the urge to study it is strong. At a conference called “Vision for Space Exploration”, President George W. Bush quoted, “Humans are headed into the cosmos (Jim 3).” His constant support of the National Aeronautics and Space Association allows them to continue research and do project on human space exploration and understanding. Among many NASA’s projects, one is focused on surveying the moon and establishing a permanent residence there for scientific experiments. NASA plans to study the effects of living outside of the Earth on the moon. Being able to live on the moon will allow NASA to venture deeper into space, and possibly send humans to Mars. This paper will broadly discuss the many requirements and challenges faced in making it possible for humans to thrive on the moon.

The general requirements for a lunar outpost to be possible are: an efficient way of transportation between the Earth and the moon; a method to provide oxygen, food, water, and energy; a suitable site on the moon to help meet the requirements; and strong and durable shelters. Apollo 17 was the last mission to the moon, and it was launched on a Saturn 5 moon rocket. This rocket had three stages of engines. A stage is simply a section of the rocket that burns fuel to boost the entire rocket into the sky. The first stage was the largest and most powerful stage because this was the stage that must produce enough force to overcome the weight force so the rocket could move upward. It had five F-1 engines which burnt for two and a half minutes after lift off and brought the rocket to an altitude of thirty-eight miles. The first stage was jettisoned at this point, and the second stage came alive bringing the rocket to an altitude of 108 miles. The third stage placed the Apollo spacecraft into low Earth orbit, and after doing some maintenance on the electronics, the third stage fired again to launch the spacecraft on a path to the moon (Wayne 126). Constructing a lunar outpost will need lots of heavy equipment and parts. Thus, NASA will adopt a safer and more efficient method by launching multiple numbers of rockets to carry equipment and pieces of a spacecraft. The astronauts and their command module will ride into Earth orbit on a single shuttle with a simple solid rocket booster as the first stage, and a second stage with a shuttle main engine. A solid rocket booster is cheaper than a liquid fuel engine, and it basically runs on dry fuel. The reaction in a solid rocket keeps going without control until it burns itself out. The other rocket, a modifiable heavy lift rocket, will put the lunar module and other equipment into Earth orbit. It has two solid rocket boosters and five shuttle main engines. When both the command module and the lunar module are in Earth orbit, they will join together, and fly towards the moon. The new Apollo spacecraft is three time larger than the older one and it will be able to accommodate four astronauts. It will use solar panels with combination of fuel cells to provide power. Once the Apollo spacecraft arrive at the moon, all four astronauts will be able to land on the moon as opposed to one crew member staying behind in the command module. The new lunar module will allow the astronauts to stay on the moon for up to seven days, and eventually, an outpost will increase the period to about six months (Jim 1).

Oxygen is very important, and since the moon has no atmosphere, scientists must look for oxygen elsewhere. Iron titanium oxide or ilmenite is a form of mineral found in the regolith or rocks on the moon. Generally in the mare areas, places of low elevation, on the moon fused together with silicate rocks (A. Edward 1). The important thing is that it contains oxygen (Valerie 212). Its chemical composition is FeTiO3 (Amethyst 1). Ilmenite has a metallic luster and its color is black due the presence of iron. Ilmenite has a hexagonal crystalline structure with rhombohedral faces (Amethyst 2). One process to extract the oxygen is to use hydrogen gas (H2) and heat energy. The high temperature will cause the hydrogen gas to react with the ilmenite compound and produce a single iron atom, titanium dioxide, and water. The oxygen and hydrogen in the water can then be separated through process called electrolysis where electrons cause the molecule to separate (Gregory 2). The other compound, titanium dioxide, could be decomposed into titanium metal and oxygen gas at a temperature of 16400 C (Gregory 3). A rough outline of what an oxygen extracting plant will be like is as follows: First, ilmenite will be physically separated from the regolith. Then it will be sent to a chamber where it is heated to about 6000 C in order to react with hydrogen gas (Gregory 2). Afterwards, a pipe will drain the water into another chamber where it under goes electrolysis and separates into hydrogen and oxygen gas. Finally, the oxygen gas will be prepared based on what it will be used for, and the hydrogen gas will be reused to react with additional ilmenite.

Food is very important. The most obvious way to get food would be to ship it from Earth. This method would be simple, but it may not be reliable. A lunar outpost must be self supporting because problems like shipment delays may occur. Allowing astronauts to grow their own food seems more favorable. Plants would use the carbon dioxide exhaled by humans, water and sunlight to perform photosynthesis. This process is very suitable in the moon environment. Not only does photosynthesis provide food for the astronauts, but it also helps put oxygen back into the outpost.

Water is very important. It could also be shipped from Earth, but it is better for the outpost to be able to obtain water from the moon. Surveys by satellites sent to the moon and presently, the Hubble telescope, reveal signs of high hydrogen concentration at the poles of the moon. Scientists believe this hydrogen is in the form of frozen water (Paul 1). If this is true, getting water would not be such a challenge after all.

Power is required to run everything in a lunar outpost from simple lighting to complicated computers. With the current technology, the best method of getting electricity would be using solar panels (Charles 1). The sun provides a constant supply of free energy, and so it is a good idea to take advantage of it.

A lunar outpost must be strong and durable since the moon is an unfriendly place. Day and night time surface temperatures there can range from +1100 C. to -1800 C. The moon has no atmosphere so the lunar outpost will not benefit from the protection of an atmosphere like the buildings on Earth. As a result, the moon is constantly bombarded by solar winds, cosmic rays, meteorites and micrometeorites (Valerie 211). The gravity on the moon is much smaller than on the Earth, so on previous Apollo missions to the moon, astronauts reported small particles of rock were sent flying into space when they moved around. These coarse particles took forever to settle back down due to low gravity and lack of air resistance (Andrew 212). This could be a problem to a lunar outpost which will require a lot of movement by robots and machines doing harvesting, mining, and maintenance operations. Rock particles will wear and tear away the outpost structure like wind and water eroding a rock on Earth if the walls not tough enough.

A suitable site on the moon for an outpost seems to be near the south pole and on the near side of the moon. At the south pole, the sun will shine continually, except on lunar eclipses. The moon’s rotation is synchronous with its orbit, so the same side of the moon constantly faces the Earth; this side is called the near side. Constructing an outpost at the south pole and on the near side will allow easier communication between the Earth and the Moon, plus the sun shine would keep the temperature of the surface at a fairly constant level, thus reducing stress on everything. The solar panels could be made to rotate on a 3600 platform, therefore, could always be pointed at the sun (Charles 1). This is better than collecting solar energy for two weeks and than waiting through two weeks of night time for the next sun rise. Ilmenite is also remotely sensed to be abundant near the south pole, and water ice could also be found at the there (Jim 3). The south pole is probably the best site for construction.

Living on the moon will soon be possible because an efficient way of launching multiple rockets is discovered, and oxygen gas could be extracted from ilmenite found on the moon. Food could be grown in the outpost, and water could possibly be found at the south pole of the moon. Power will be provided by solar panels, and shelters will be built to withstand dust erosion on the moon. NASA plans to send Apollo 18 to the moon in 2018 to establish human presence on the moon, and they will most likely choose a site near the south pole where water, oxygen and sunlight is plentiful. If Neil Armstrong and his Apollo 11 crew could land on the moon thirty-six years ago, then the twenty-first century generation will be able to sent humans to live on there (Wayne 143).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ilmenite.htm, 1999

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