These modules may give way to larger structures positioned beneath regolith archways or buildings made of lunar concrete as requirements change. The Moon's crust is 40-percent oxygen (in combination with other elements, of course). Really, you would have to definitely live in caves on the moon, but on Mars, it might be possible to live above-ground. Latest. The Moon will be an active mining base to begin with. Satellite studies of the Earth will remain an important priority, along with the lofting of unmanned spacecraft to explore our solar system. His heart would always melt at that sight. Water is trickier. The Lunarian stood in the eternal dark within the crater at the Moon’s south pole, and thought that silence was so characteristic—and soothing—and, yes, frightening—about the Moon. Other reasons to go – potential cheap energy from helium-3 mining, tourism, and the like – are too vague at the moment to count on. Because of the Moon's feebler gravity, it would be a particularly useful site for the building and launching of space vessels. But in this case, the answer probably isn’t as interesting as the question itself – more specifically, when, and why, and how will we do it? NASA planners foresee a manned lunar base in the early 21st century. But how? It takes less than 5 percent as much energy to lift a quantity of matter off the Moon than it would to lift the same quantity off the Earth. Environmental monitoring. The Moon has not been seriously disturbed after the first half-billion years of the existence of the solar system (something that is not true of the Earth). Think of the efficiency of the solar power stations we could build on a world without an interfering atmosphere... To what purpose? He tried not to think of Earth. Humans Could Live on Moon By 2022, says NASA. If all goes well, there is no reason why work on the project cannot be initiated in the 1990s. The soil on the moon contains oxygen, which can be harvested using heat and electricity. The moon rabbit or moon hare is a mythical figure who lives on the Moon in Far Eastern folklore, based on pareidolia interpretations that identify the dark markings on the near side of the Moon as a rabbit or hare.The folklore originated in China and then spread to other Asian cultures. Some of those ways are not material in nature. Indeed, lunar building materials may one day be a principal lunar export. Eventually, Rogers wants to send humans to the Moon to live in these structures and become self-sufficient. Before we talk about settling down on our rocky neighbour, we have to ask why we should head there in the first place. Humanity will have a second world. Think of the nuclear power stations we could build...where safety considerations did not bulk so large. Many of them are on orbits that also take them near the Earth, which makes them far easier targets for space missions, requiring less fuel and time to visit. How We Detect Chemical Weapons Before They're Used. Their ultimate goal is not to mine asteroids as such, but to create a permanent human foothold in space. After that, it may be that the Moon settlers will have developed their world to the point of being independent of Earth by the end of the 21st century. We can reduce the problem space if we assume that only robots/machines will live on the moon. They’re the floating convenience stores of space, and can be tapped for supplies needed to explore deep space. While the cost of the International Space Station (ISS) is estimated to be $100bn, much of that was simply getting previously-built components into space in the first place. But why bother? But when will this colonization take place? Think of the genetic engineering we could perform, of the experimental life forms we could devise. He was not a true Lunarian, of course. Turning to the heavens, special detectors would analyze rays from astrophysical sources, and Moon-based particle accelerators would give new insight into the nature of matter. Why doesn’t anyone live on the moon yet? Farther along the gently rolling floor, in the direction of the opposite side of the crater, was sunlight, too. Understanding of climate change. But the "Ride Report” also stresses a manned permanent presence on the Moon before we embark on a manned mission to Mars, hoping to fully exploit the Moon's resources and scientific opportunities —while boosting our own interplanetary learning curve—before engaging in a Mars space spectacular. March 10, 2016. And it involves something of a surprising and indirect stepping stone. In some ways, the very minimal gravity of the moon might actually be more conducive to life … The Moon, as an independent world, will represent a complete new turning in human history. Naturally, you will have no Moon to sparkle in your night sky, because…well, you are … You go home. Uh, About That Black Hole at the Center of Earth, Wax On, Wane Off: A Guide to All the Lunar Phases, The Air Force's Project Blue Book, 50 Years Later, How to Track and Photograph Secret Spacecraft, Small Yet Mighty Mercury Is Still a Mystery, Isaac Asimov: 'How We'll Live on the Moon'. To comment on this or anything else you have seen on Future, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter. The NASA Scientists say that is could be possible to construct a base that can accommodate 10 astronauts for more than a year by 2022 as the technologies required for it already exist in present. Neutrinos and gravity waves, together with other exotic cosmic manifestations, might be detected more easily and studied from the Moon than from the Earth. A full moon is nearly two thousand times brighter than Venus is at its brightest. "In order to live on it, we need to have a way of keeping oxygen on the moon. Instantaneous broadcasting of radio and television. Not surprisingly, your evening on the Moon is similar to your day; pitch black. A much more specialized one existed on the Moon's far side where a huge radio telescope, insulated from Earth's radio interference by 2000 miles of solid Moon, was being completed. The far side of the Moon would allow radio telescopes to work without interference from human sources of light and radio waves. Why? The Moon can also be used for experiments we would not wish to perform in the midst of the Earth's teeming life. Global positioning technology. NASA is already planning Moon bases. Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the Moon, said that the Milky Way must be full of small, rocky worlds like this, and if we can learn to live here we can live anywhere. Smelting material in the near-weightless environment of an asteroid is one thing, but creating complex components of spacecraft is another. Four decades after the Apollo missions, the idea of colonising the Moon is still the stuff of science fiction. (Image credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com Infographics Artist) But there might be another reason to go, one that could swing the argument in its favour. Read about our approach to external linking. One company, Planetary Resources, has already announced plans to do exactly this. moon. Former astronaut Dr. Sally K. Ride, America's first woman in space, recently produced a report outlining this nation's space goals. By 2005, the first outpost could be established, and by 2015, a permanently occupied Moon base may be in existence. Ms Griebel predicts humans could live sustainably on the moon by 2028, if Nasa can find a way for us to survive the freezing lunar night. A day and a night there each last two weeks, and the temperatures are extreme. First, but not necessarily foremost, the Moon is a marvelous platform for astronomical observations. Super-Sahara or not, the Moon would be useful, even vital, to us in many ways. And, in fact, radio telescopes on the Moon and on the Earth could make observations in combination, allowing us to study in the finest detail the active centers of the galaxies, including our own Milky Way. But that's dependent on quite a few factors. Literally. Unlike man's initial forays to the lunar surface, future trips to the Moon will be greatly aided by a space station positioned in low Earth orbit, by orbital transfer vehicles and by expendable lunar landers. 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