The Moon has always inspired humanity, and there are many potential advantages for further exploration of our planet’s rocky satellite.
The Earth’s Moon is the only place beyond Earth where humans have set foot. The brightest and most prominent object in our sky at night, the Moon, makes Earth a more livable planet by ebbing our home planet’s wobble on its axis, leading to a more relatively stable climate. It also causes tides, which create a rhythm that has guided humanity for many years. The Moon somehow formed after a Mars-sized body collided with Earth.
Earth’s only natural satellite is “the Moon” since humans didn’t know other moons existed until Galileo Galilei discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610.
As we prepare to celebrate the 54th anniversary of the Moon landing, here are five (5) things people need to reflect on how humanity enjoys various future uses of the Moon.
1. Human settlement on the Moon. Scientific firms will masterplan, design, and engineer Moon Village, a permanent human settlement on the Moon’s surface. Revolving around principles of resilience and self-sufficiency, it is to go up on the Shackleton Crater. The idea is to make the most of that zone’s natural resources, such as near-constant sunlight throughout the lunar year with which to obtain energy, conduct experiments, and produce food, as well as the frozen water in the permanently shaded depressions near the Moon’s South Pole, with which to create breathable air, propel rockets for transport, and support industrial activity.
Rising three and four levels, the inflatable modules containing workspaces and living quarters will be pressurized and expandable as needed. These structures are protected with regolith cladding to withstand extreme temperatures, radiation, and pressure differences.
2. Mining the Moon. Recent evidence that the Moon may be rich in metals such as titanium and iron was made known using data from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The scientists were looking for ice at the bottom of craters around the Moon’s north pole but found evidence of metal oxides in big holes. The hypothesis is that giant meteors hitting the Moon have excavated these metal oxides from beneath the Moon’s surface; this suggests metal concentrations underground.
3. Medical research on the Moon. There is talk about the potential to 3D print organs in zero gravity on the International Space Station (ISS). 3D printing organs on the Moon, in which gravity is 1/6 that on Earth, could be the next thing in addressing the organ shortage available for transplant. Then there’s the chance of other medical research on the Moon. There are stringent rules and regulations for medical study in most countries on Earth, and experiments on the ISS are being done under the watch of the station’s partners.
4. Tourism on the Moon. Personal regard for the space industry means space tourism will likely become profitable. Tourism trips around the Moon are now being planned, and landing missions will follow without a doubt.
. Moon-based planetary defense. The Czech-based political scientist Nikola Schmidt and his team advocate for the development of laser defense systems on the far side of the Moon. This should be able to destroy different comets and asteroids on an impact trajectory with Earth.
Furthermore, with Scott Harral’s glimpse into the near future, as we inhabit the Moon, one or more active stations will likely be permanently on the Moon in the coming decades.
And human life will inevitably be taken by another while people are living in these moon colonies. Will we be prepared for the first time it happens? The book, “Moon Luck,” written by Scott Harral. It is the story of 30 astronauts living on the Moon for extended periods. It is also the story of the astronaut scientists and astronaut explorers as they grow plants on the Moon, explore and find mineral ores, conduct experiments and research, and develop animosities and close relationships. When one of the base’s senior members dies in what appears to be an accident, the story follows the trail to discover the actual perpetrator, leaving us with the question: Is it murder if it happens on the Moon?
Closing Remarks
The Moon is now within our reach and is the logical site for human exploration and settlement. The alternative to the migration of peoples into space is to remain forever on our home planet — which is to say that we have explored and learned enough, that we have satisfied our need for advancement, and that we wish to accept our present existence as good enough. This closed-Earth model of the future offers declining resources to serve growing populations — a frightening scenario in which war could become the best option for survival. The migration to and settlement of the Moon breaks the closed-Earth paradigm — it offers unlimited opportunities for the growth of humankind based upon the virtually-limitless resources of space.
Alex Writes 