Monday, August 20, 2007

Time to have lunch on the moon....

An example lunar polar base


From the pole, run out sheathed electrical cabling every 30° to exposed terminals. Due to the temperature difference on the sides of the moon, this should generate an electric potential that can be tapped at a polar power station. From a nearby terminal to we then run a coiled cable around the moon every mile or so (engineers may say this has to be done more or less frequently) to generate a magnetic field. This field it is hoped, would divert solar radiation away from a base around 5 miles out from the pole.


The base itself will be a standard module, semi-spherical in shape connected to the power plant. The power feeds will create an additional magnetic field around the module through additional coils in the outer structure. Magnetic coils are also recommended in the flooring to divert accumulated radiation on the surface of the moon away from the astronauts. Over the coils around the top and sides of the structure, we should have a layer of non-magnetic sheathing material. We will place layers of ice and regolith over this sheath to further reduce incoming solar radiation and increase insolation. Hatches will be present on the ground side (2 recommended) for access and a thick lens hatch available on the top as part of an observatory would be optional, though it is recommended that a lunar observatory be constructed in a different manor and remotely operated for the majority of its day.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Homo Exterra

A space race....


So I cheated... Homo Sapiens is the Genus and Species of the modern man. Exterra is a combination of 2 latin words ex (out of, from) and terra (earth, land, ground). When we move to space as a permanent habitat, we may have generations of people growing up in microgravity. A recent article suggested that bone loss from microgravity can become so severe for long trips that the astronaut may be unable to return home.


NASA has been studying bone loss to extend the active duty time of its astronauts as well as increase their level of comfort between extended trips (such as 6 months on the ISS). Here's their main concern as stated in the article:

Exposure to the microgravity environment of space causes astronauts to lose calcium from bones. This loss occurs because the absence of Earth's gravity disrupts the process of bone maintenance in its major function of supporting body weight.


Because of this, our first permanent settlement, not just an outpost, may be manned by generations of people who's bodies will be shaped much differently from our own or may just be too brittle to visit "Mother Earth" or Gaea, to borrow from Greek Mythology. Now, there are many stories where people have very dense or very light bone structure and can't handle a "normal" environment properly anymore. Do not be surprised if in the next generation, Homo Exterra are transmitting back to earth home sick letters looking for someway to experience their roots....