"Alan Erskine" wrote in message ...
"Alex Terrell" wrote in message
...

People seem to underestimate the problems of erecting multi GW (ie 10s
of km2), rotating arrays at the poles, linked to a horizontal axis
muli km wide microwave transmitter.

For a start, you don't need to go to the poles (regardless of water - water
is _not_ that important except for massive, Earth-oriented industry) - at
the equator, solar (pv or thermal) for the day time and fuel cells for the
night.


Actually water is very important for many industrial ore-processing
steps. Specifically hydrogen is. So are other volatile elements that
are scarce on the Moon, such as fluorine.

Keep in mind that all the good stuff up there is bound in oxides--fer-
rous or silicates. You need a lot of energy to release it--either
through high temperatures or aggressive chemical processes. The for-
mer require highly heat-resistant containment, the latter require just
the elements the Moon is so scarce of as well as container materials
that don't bind them, forming worthless slag.

You will need to go to the poles at first, at least in order to boot-
strap future industries.



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