Would anyone benefit from a moon base...

[Damaged Eagle]

Probably why the just send unmanned probes now. Been there done that. Also the cost is pretty astronomical for the pleasure of kicking up some dirt and writing kilroy was there.

The wealthiest nations are all moving toward having space forces.
I think it's inevitable. If China sets up a moon base, do we want to be left out?

If you get caught up with that, then it will be an expenditure. Unmanned probes are what they are doing now. To have a sustained manned base is not worth the costs and is not sustainably at this time. What would a moon base be capable of? Exploration maybe, Military , I would say no as what are you protecting from that distance. Feel good moment. The best bet is to work together with other nations. China has yet to even get a man to the moon. By spreading this cost it will build a sense of unity. Yeah they may get your technology but if we can figure it out so can they eventually. We don't need another space race.

View attachment 369365

The potential resources such as steel and water that can be put into space would be cheaper to export off the moons surface than Earths. Things such as silicone and other rare elements if found on the moon are essential for the construction of electronic parts. That would be the building blocks for a reusable ship to explore the solar system.

Even better would be a iron nickel asteroid knocked into Earth orbit when it makes a near pass for cheap building materials.

A colony on the moon in unfeasible because the gravity on the moon isn't enough to maintain one's health. Even a Mars colony is questionable due to the gravity being only half that of Earth.

*****SMILE*****

Couldn't they build artificial gravity structures that rotate for living and most routine activities?

View attachment 369368

Yes. Knock a asteroid in one of the Lagrangian points of Lunar orbit then build a habitat ring near it with a spin. Then they can mine the asteroid and keep building onto the ring.

After that find a way to move Venus and Ganymede (one of Jupiter's moons) into Earth orbit so all three planets are sixty degrees apart along the orbital plane and start Terra-forming.

*****SMILE*****

Actually I was referring to terrestrial habitats

The Moon's Lagrangian points are safe places to park large 'rotating' habitats.

*****SMILE*****

 

[westwall]

Some asteroid has our name on it

There's an asteroid flying around with "queer" written on it?

You betcha! It's marked in HUGE letters....Aaron Leland, Special Delivery

 

[westwall]

Probably why the just send unmanned probes now. Been there done that. Also the cost is pretty astronomical for the pleasure of kicking up some dirt and writing kilroy was there.

The wealthiest nations are all moving toward having space forces.
I think it's inevitable. If China sets up a moon base, do we want to be left out?

If you get caught up with that, then it will be an expenditure. Unmanned probes are what they are doing now. To have a sustained manned base is not worth the costs and is not sustainably at this time. What would a moon base be capable of? Exploration maybe, Military , I would say no as what are you protecting from that distance. Feel good moment. The best bet is to work together with other nations. China has yet to even get a man to the moon. By spreading this cost it will build a sense of unity. Yeah they may get your technology but if we can figure it out so can they eventually. We don't need another space race.

View attachment 369365

The potential resources such as steel and water that can be put into space would be cheaper to export off the moons surface than Earths. Things such as silicone and other rare elements if found on the moon are essential for the construction of electronic parts. That would be the building blocks for a reusable ship to explore the solar system.

Even better would be a iron nickel asteroid knocked into Earth orbit when it makes a near pass for cheap building materials.

A colony on the moon in unfeasible because the gravity on the moon isn't enough to maintain one's health. Even a Mars colony is questionable due to the gravity being only half that of Earth.

*****SMILE*****

I disagree about the lack of gravity making it uninhabitable. There are ways to maintain muscle mass and tone.

 

[Natural Citizen]

Well, gee, I wonder who.

Oh, I remember.

Suhprise!

 

[Big Black Dog]

A big waste of time and money. I say don’t do it.

 

[esalla]

...other than NA$A???

Yes

 

[mamooth]

To have a sustained manned base is not worth the costs and is not sustainably at this time.

A moonbase is sustainable with the present technology. Only the infrastructure is lacking. And we'll never have the infrastructure unless we start building it. Small steps.

What would a moon base be capable of?

Teaching us how to live on other planets.

You have to start somewhere. Right now, we don't even know what the long term effects of low gravity on humans are. We know the long term effects of zero gravity on humans are devastating, but low gravity is an open question.

Let me add that a moon base is good, but a Mars base isn't. Mars is just too far away, and the environment there sucks a lot more. Learn to crawl before learning to walk.

 

[miketx]

We still can't lift much of anything into orbit.

 

[Kilroy2]

To have a sustained manned base is not worth the costs and is not sustainably at this time.

A moonbase is sustainable with the present technology. Only the infrastructure is lacking. And we'll never have the infrastructure unless we start building it. Small steps.

What would a moon base be capable of?

Teaching us how to live on other planets.

You have to start somewhere. Right now, we don't even know what the long term effects of low gravity on humans are. We know the long term effects of zero gravity on humans are devastating, but low gravity is an open question.

Let me add that a moon base is good, but a Mars base isn't. Mars is just too far away, and the environment there sucks a lot more. Learn to crawl before learning to walk.

sure as I have said before the moon is just a stepping stone to Mars. Still the cost to go to the moon under the Apollo project is said to be about 25 billion 50 or so years ago.


NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine offered his first concrete budget estimate for the agency's current lunar aspirations, a plan that has been dubbed the Artemis program. That plan includes recruiting commercial companies and international partners, building a lunar space station, landing humans at the moon's south pole by 2024 and framing the whole project as practicing for Mars.

"For the whole program, to get a sustainable presence on the moon, we're looking at between $20 and $30 billion," Bridenstine told CNN

The key is to get commercial companies and other international partners. Otherwise it will be expensive. Still I would question what is the return. Yeah Star Trek was interesting but it is set in the 22 century. How many red shirts have to die?

Sorry, I had to get that one in.about red shirts. Still it probably will be centuries before anything concrete makes it worth the money that will be spent. The idea that it was the planet Earth and not the individual countries

 

[Blackrook]

The reason the space program is stalled is because the United States is really the only nation with resources to go to the Moon and Mars and so if we goof off forever we will still be there first.

 

[Jarlaxle]

A big waste of time and money. I say don’t do it.

Bottomless money pit. End the whole thing.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Any future Moon base almost certainly won't be on the surface of the Moon, due to Moon quakes. There will be bases in Moon orbit, and they will be useful for relaying ships back to earth and to other planets.

 

[ding]

After that find a way to move Venus and Ganymede (one of Jupiter's moons) into Earth orbit

What could possibly go wrong with this.

 

[DrLove]

Maybe - The lack of Earth gravity would make other launches to interesting planets like Mars easier.

It would also be a great place to leave Donald and his corrupt administration ...

MMGA!

 

[harmonica]

Probably why the just send unmanned probes now. Been there done that. Also the cost is pretty astronomical for the pleasure of kicking up some dirt and writing kilroy was there.

The wealthiest nations are all moving toward having space forces.
I think it's inevitable. If China sets up a moon base, do we want to be left out?

what's the base for? that's mucho $$$$....for what? what's the advantages/

 

[HenryBHough]

Once there's a moon base there'll be riots in Wisconsin demanding steep tariffs on imported cheese.

 

[JimBowie1958]

...other than NA$A???

Yes, mankind as a whole. Man needs to get off of this one rock. Our very survival as a species requires it. Some asteroid has our name on it, I want to be able to stop it.

A moon base makes that job a LOT easier.

Just as a communications base for our mining operations in the rest of the solar system, hell yeah, a moon base is well worth the price.
But said base would also be priceless as a logistics depot, farming, warehousing, water source, etc, and all done in a much smaller gravity well

 

[harmonica]

...other than NA$A???

Yes, mankind as a whole. Man needs to get off of this one rock. Our very survival as a species requires it. Some asteroid has our name on it, I want to be able to stop it.

A moon base makes that job a LOT easier.

Just as a communications base for our mining operations in the rest of the solar system, hell yeah, a moon base is well worth the price.
But said base would also be priceless as a logistics depot, farming, warehousing, water source, etc, and all done in a much smaller gravity well

....surely you jest.....mining in the solar system??!!!! there is NO WAY you can make money in the solar system
..what are you mining?? it takes MORE fuel for MORE minerals/etc = MORE weight = ridiculous /etc

 

[westwall]

To have a sustained manned base is not worth the costs and is not sustainably at this time.

A moonbase is sustainable with the present technology. Only the infrastructure is lacking. And we'll never have the infrastructure unless we start building it. Small steps.

What would a moon base be capable of?

Teaching us how to live on other planets.

You have to start somewhere. Right now, we don't even know what the long term effects of low gravity on humans are. We know the long term effects of zero gravity on humans are devastating, but low gravity is an open question.

Let me add that a moon base is good, but a Mars base isn't. Mars is just too far away, and the environment there sucks a lot more. Learn to crawl before learning to walk.

sure as I have said before the moon is just a stepping stone to Mars. Still the cost to go to the moon under the Apollo project is said to be about 25 billion 50 or so years ago.


NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine offered his first concrete budget estimate for the agency's current lunar aspirations, a plan that has been dubbed the Artemis program. That plan includes recruiting commercial companies and international partners, building a lunar space station, landing humans at the moon's south pole by 2024 and framing the whole project as practicing for Mars.

"For the whole program, to get a sustainable presence on the moon, we're looking at between $20 and $30 billion," Bridenstine told CNN

The key is to get commercial companies and other international partners. Otherwise it will be expensive. Still I would question what is the return. Yeah Star Trek was interesting but it is set in the 22 century. How many red shirts have to die?

Sorry, I had to get that one in.about red shirts. Still it probably will be centuries before anything concrete makes it worth the money that will be spent. The idea that it was the planet Earth and not the individual countries

The Apollo program witnessed the greatest technological innovation mankind has ever seen that didn't involve war.

If we put our mind to it we can be an interplanetary society within 75 years. Maybe sooner with some luck.

And yes, many people will die. That's the nature of exploration. You get to take nice comfortable flights in airliners. Guess what, thousands have died so that you could.

 

[westwall]

...other than NA$A???

Yes, mankind as a whole. Man needs to get off of this one rock. Our very survival as a species requires it. Some asteroid has our name on it, I want to be able to stop it.

A moon base makes that job a LOT easier.

Just as a communications base for our mining operations in the rest of the solar system, hell yeah, a moon base is well worth the price.
But said base would also be priceless as a logistics depot, farming, warehousing, water source, etc, and all done in a much smaller gravity well

....surely you jest.....mining in the solar system??!!!! there is NO WAY you can make money in the solar system
..what are you mining?? it takes MORE fuel for MORE minerals/etc = MORE weight = ridiculous /etc

There are asteroids worth trillions of dollars. A spaceship lands on the asteroid and builds an engine on the surface. That engine propels the asteroid to high earth orbit where it is then mined.

Then, you use a space elevator to bring the minerals to the surface.