(Oren Tirosh) wrote in message . com...
(Bill Bogen) wrote in message . com...
..
4) Once on the Moon, use the rover to explore possible lava tube
sites. A simple and inexpensive inflatable structure can be quickly
set up later in a lava tube since the structure will only have to
retain air pressure, while the lava tube itslf will provide meteor,
radiation, and thermal protection.

I agree that lava tubes could make a huge difference for the viability
of a lunar base. Our ancestors took shelter in caves. There's no
reason why we shouldn't have lunar cavemen. But finding such lava
tubes could be tricky. A rover has very limited range and speed. You
have to scout for likely sites first.

We already have lots of orbital photos (from the Apollo missions) of
likely spots; see the Aristarchus photo I mentioned earlier.
Communication might be the tricky part; once the rover is in a lava
tube, its transmissions to Earth or to its lander-half could be
blocked, making teleoperation tricky. Perhaps the rover (Theseus)
could unwind an optical fiber from the lander (Ariadne) as it wends
its way into the labyrinth of the lava tube.