To the moon, Alice! To the moon!

[Zkribbler]

At last count, there are 95 moons in the solar system. Why do we want to go to any of them??

All of them are far less habitable than either Antarctica or the Sahara Desert. Only Titan has an atmosphere, and the air there is poisoness. There's no place where food can be grown. If we mine any minerals, it will be far more expensive to transport them to Earth than if we just mined them here.

I can understand wanting to have a few research stations to do pure scientific research....but is there any economic motivation to leave Momma Earth??

[Geronimo]

Re: To the moon, Alice! To the moon!

Originally posted by Zkribbler
At last count, there are 95 moons in the solar system. Why do we want to go to any of them??

All of them are far less habitable than either Antarctica or the Sahara Desert. Only Titan has an atmosphere, and the air there is poisoness. There's no place where food can be grown. If we mine any minerals, it will be far more expensive to transport them to Earth than if we just mined them here.

I can understand wanting to have a few research stations to do pure scientific research....but is there any economic motivation to leave Momma Earth??

Those places don't have fragile ecosystems that we need to concern ourselves with not threatening.

We have the illusion of inexpensive economic activity here on earth because the environmental costs are hidden.

[DaShi]

"He was using space travel as a metaphor for spousal abuse."

[Kuciwalker]

The moon has less gravity. Therefore it is easier to launch stuff off it.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
The moon has less gravity. Therefore it is easier to launch stuff off it.

which will be totally unconvincing justification for moon development to someone who questions the need to launch anything anywhere.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
The moon has less gravity. Therefore it is easier to launch stuff off it.

L5 has even less of a delta vee requirement...

[Kuciwalker]

It's harder to move the moon by launching rockets on it. You also have about half the surface area to seal/insulate (even less if you tunnel).

[Kuciwalker]

And some gravity makes it easier for people to live there.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
L5 has even less of a delta vee requirement...

Dammit, I was going to say that.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


L5 has even less of a delta vee requirement...

What is there at L5 to launch anywhere? Isn't it sorta empty?

[Kuciwalker]

Also if the moon has water that's one more thing we don't have to ship up.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Geronimo


What is there at L5 to launch anywhere? Isn't it sorta empty?

1) Launch mission to appropriate NiFe asteroid+comet
2) Move asteroid + comet to L5
3) Launch people, nuke stuff, some equipment to L5
4) ???
5) Profit

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Also if the moon has water that's one more thing we don't have to ship up.

Comets = water

[Adrian Hon]

If we ever figure out how to make fusion power work, then there's a good supply of Helium-3 on the Moon.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Comets = water

Comets are a bit farther away than the Moon.