Moon Base baby steps

Two interesting quotes from Prez. Bush's speech:
"We will begin the effort quickly, using existing programs and
personnel.... We'll make steady progress, one mission, one voyage, one
landing at a time."

Assuming an incremental approach, even if the grand program (new
vehicle and eventual Mars landing) falls by the wayside, what small,
initial steps can be taken before political momentum fades?

I suggest we:
1) Use an existing rover design, tweaked slightly to allow
teleoperation from Earth;
2) Design a lander to take the rover from lunar orbit to the lunar
surface, maybe a solid rocket motor to slow it down and an airbag
system for actual landing;
3) launch it on a Delta II;
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. See
http://www.halien.com/TAS/Gallery/apollo/ for a nice picture of
Aristarchus crater (at lower right). Notice the rille/valley to the
left of the 25 mile diameter crater with the possible remaining intact
section of lava tube;
5) Use a similar rover (one with the spectrometer capability of the
Mars Rover) at the lunar poles to search for ice/hydrated minerals.

Any reason this couldn't be done within a year or two? Then, even if
Bush's particular iteration of the perennial Moon-Mars Vision falters,
we'd at least have useful data to plan the next iteration.

(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.

Here's a proposed mission for this: a lunar orbiter to take multiple
images of the same locations at different sun angles for computer
analysis. I am talking about sub-meter resolution: low lunar orbit,
high resolution cameras. At such resolutions global coverage is
probably not practical, just a big sample. This scout should be in a
synchronized orbit that covers certain narrow stripes again and again
and then slowly drifting to cover new terrain after these stripes have
been mapped at multiple sun angles and viewing angles. The search
could be a feedback process: after image processing reveals intresting
spots at low resolution the a target schedule would be uploaded to the
orbiter for higher resolution scans.

The image processing would look for anomalous shadow patterns -
negative angles, overhangs or anything else that registers as an
anomaly on a parametric prediction model. Hopefully it would find lava
tubes but it's sure to produce images of exciting lunar landscapes
with high PR and perhaps even commercial value. This kind of orbiter
should be relatively inexpensive but it would require a downlink pipe
fatter than usual.

Oren

Oren Tirosh wrote:
(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.




You can always dig a hole. The big enabler would be water resources.
That will drive site selection and tech development.

Charles Buckley wrote in message ...
Oren Tirosh wrote:
(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.




You can always dig a hole.

How, exactly? A low cost mission won't include a massive backhoe.
Explosives? We'd still have to move lots of rubble. By hand, with a
shovel while wearing a pressure suit? Much better to set up a roomy,
inflatable permanent base quickly in a lava tube, even if we have to
drive/send rovers 100s of kms to interesting sites.

The big enabler would be water resources.
That will drive site selection and tech development.

Another post states that the interior of lava tubes is probably at a
constant -21 degrees C. Comet impacts on the Moon could well have
flung some ice/water vapor down a lava tube where it condensed. This
is one resource our rover could look for. For a technical reference,
see 'The Adventures of Tin Tin: Destination Moon' by Herge.

Bill Bogen wrote:
Charles Buckley wrote in message ...

Oren Tirosh wrote:

(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.




You can always dig a hole.


How, exactly? A low cost mission won't include a massive backhoe.
Explosives? We'd still have to move lots of rubble. By hand, with a
shovel while wearing a pressure suit? Much better to set up a roomy,
inflatable permanent base quickly in a lava tube, even if we have to
drive/send rovers 100s of kms to interesting sites.



Mostly, it would be more a case of finding a place where there
is an existing depression or hole such as a crater or rille. Then,
adding a bulldozer attachment to the rover and just scrape over the
surface. there were a number of suitable sites near all of the Apollo
landing sites which indicates that the condition is common to the
moon.


The big enabler would be water resources.
That will drive site selection and tech development.


Another post states that the interior of lava tubes is probably at a
constant -21 degrees C. Comet impacts on the Moon could well have
flung some ice/water vapor down a lava tube where it condensed. This
is one resource our rover could look for. For a technical reference,
see 'The Adventures of Tin Tin: Destination Moon' by Herge.

That odds of that are essentially zero. Most of the hypothesis for water
on the moon are based around solid water deposits being flung around.
Water vapor would remain gaseous in the lunar environment. Vapor
spreads evenly around the entire moon, from what they determined from
the Apollo expirements, then is swept away. The vacuum of the normal
environment would essentially evacuate any tube prior to any
condensation.

The big enabler would be water resources.
That will drive site selection and tech development.


Another post states that the interior of lava tubes is probably at a
constant -21 degrees C. Comet impacts on the Moon could well have
flung some ice/water vapor down a lava tube where it condensed. This
is one resource our rover could look for. For a technical reference,
see 'The Adventures of Tin Tin: Destination Moon' by Herge.

That odds of that are essentially zero. Most of the hypothesis for water
on the moon are based around solid water deposits being flung around.
Water vapor would remain gaseous in the lunar environment. Vapor
spreads evenly around the entire moon, from what they determined from
the Apollo expirements, then is swept away. The vacuum of the normal
environment would essentially evacuate any tube prior to any
condensation.




That's why a polar base would be more desirable - the lunar polar ice
hypothesis was finally confirmed by observations made by the Lunar
Prospector spacecraft in 1998.
Once liquid water is manufactured, one could then fill parts of the external
bladders of Lunar Transhabs with water as a radiation sheild.

Oh, to add to my post on tax credits to space developers:
The point is that it would kick start investment that isn't
purely motivated by the tax credits so by printing say
5 billion in 'funny money' we might reap benefits far
in excess of the face value of those tax credit certificates
as many investors who haven't traditionally supported
space R&D are attracted to the sector.

-McDaniel

(Bill Bogen) wrote in message . com...

Another post states that the interior of lava tubes is probably at a
constant -21 degrees C. Comet impacts on the Moon could well have
flung some ice/water vapor down a lava tube where it condensed. This
is one resource our rover could look for. For a technical reference,
see 'The Adventures of Tin Tin: Destination Moon' by Herge.

Note the detailed design of the space suit for dogs.

the cost of lunar exploration and development depends directly on the
cost of the rocket technology we rely upon to impart momentum to the
payloads we send to the moon to support this development. To that end
it makes sense to rely upon proven technologies and systems that are
derived from incremental improvements made to reduce the cost of
imparting momentum to payloads. It also makes sense to develop
commercial interest in space faring technology by elucidating a
program that provides for significant commercial payback for private
investment in technology development. So, we have the following
possibilities;

(1) Take reusable and restartable high-performance engines and adapt
them to reusable airframes made at low-cost. The engine program that
could be a model for this is the proposed STME program. This program
would make the Ferrari like SSME into a Chevy-like Space
Transportation Engine - of lower performance, but higher economic
value.

http://www.astronautix.com/engines/stme.htm

A program to make SSME and RL10 engines into low-cost, highly
efficient space transportation engines is well worth the effort.

(2) Make low-cost reusable airframes with existing technologies.
Reducing structural fractions is an important goal. But reduced
structural fractions can become an obstacle if purchased at too high a
price. Reasonable structural fractions using reasonably robust
materials built at reasonable prices flown at reasonable flight rates
should provide very good economic performance.

(3) Make the necessary investments in launch center upgrades to
safely support larger launch rates.

With these three core programs in place, programs which by the way
would bear a total cost of about 5% that of the money already spent on
the ISS, we could envision another 5 billion spent to develop the
following;

(a) A fully reusable two-stage-to-orbit Atlas class launcher built
around a single SSME in the first stage and four RL10 engines in the
second stage. This vehicle would take off and land vertically, and
the first stage booster would be capable of being refueled, and
boosted back to the launch center for reuse in hours.

(b) A fully reusable booster built around the existing Shuttle ET -
that is powered by 7 SSME in its tail. This vehicle would take off
vertically, and land horizontally. Upgrading the booster described
above so that it may operate as an upper stage would provide a means
to put Saturn class payloads into orbit - and give us a secure
foundation with which to return to the moon.

(c) Develop a cross-feed capacity so that three fully reusable ET
based boosters described above could operate as a two-stage launcher.
This vehicle consists of three ETs launched in parallel, and is
capable of putting Nova class payloads into orbit (about 250 metric
tons into LEO). This would permit payloads to support lunar bases and
mars expeditions.

(c) Extend a cross-feed capacity to that seven fully reusable ET
based boosters could operate as a three stage launcher. This vehicle
is capable of placing 500 ton payloads into LEO. This would permit
payloads in space that would support a mars base and industrialization
of the moon.

(d) Revitalize the NERVA thermal rocket program (125 ton thrust) and
build an upper stage to the large rocket above to provide direct
industrial access to the inner solar system.

(e) Modify the NERVA type thermal rocket to provide a GW of space
electrical capacity - and use this to power
(i) Space cities and industry,
(ii) Powerful ion rockets
this provides us a capacity to extend our reach to the outer solar
system very cheaply.

(f) ON THE MOON - develop a nuclear research program that develops
peaceful nuclear pulse rocket technology built on the moon and flown
from there. This tpe of rocket will never be flown within 90,000 km
of Earth (where the VanAllen belts could capture radioactive materials
and bring them to Earth) - but would give humanity commercial access
to the solar system. This development would be supported in
conjunction with an enhanced nonproliferation treaty where all nuclear
weapons materials and nuclear research would be taken over by this
international body.

The commercial aspect of this includes;

(a) Enunciate a vision of a global wireless internet beamed
directly from space that would make use of the TSTO-RLV described in
(a) above.

(b) Enunciate a vision of a global wireless powernet beamed
directly from space that would make use of the 500 ton capacity
described in (c) above.

(c) Enunciate a vision of a global manufacturing network delivering
products made in space delivered directly from space that would make
use of the nuclear pulse rockets built in (f) above. People on Earth
will work in space by telerobotics;

http://world.honda.com/ASIMO/
http://www.pulsar.org/archive/int/ti...dataglove.html
http://robotics.jpl.nasa.gov/

Basically, they'll don a datasuit and goggles, and drive humaniform
robots around their remote work areas by interacting with the remote
environment very naturally. Thus, they can live anywhere and work
anywhere. This includes living on Earth and workin in space. Pulling
a rich asteroid into Earth orbit and linking to a remotely controlled
factory robot is the cheapest way to get billions of workers into
space. Putting a factorysat into orbit above Earth also gives that
factory direct access to the Earth's entire population as consumers of
that factory's products. Ultimately, biospheres would be produced on
orbit that would be used to create orbiting farms and forests - to
provide food and fiber or Earth's population - in an environmentally
friendly way.

The telecom market would exceed $100 billion, the power market would
exceed $1 trillion, the manufacturing market would exceed $10
trillion.

With each step we remove a technical burden on Earth's biosphere.

Beyond this we can promote the development of laser powered rockets
with laser energy being derived from solar pumped lasers in Earth
orbit. This will provide a means to produce rockets of
extraordinarily low cost and great capacity. This will have a
commercial implication of creating a global transportation network -
supported by beamed laser energy from space.

Expanding upon this capacity would allow broad access to orbit by the
bulk of humanity. This combined with expanded industry on orbit could
provide access to Earth orbiting space colonies, and the exodus of
billions of people off Earth.

Larger sun orbiting solar laser stations could provide power across
the solar system, and drive billions of interplanetary capable laser
rockets. These rockets could move the personally owned space colonies
across the solar system - this would be the goldenn age of
interplanetary development.

Large sun orbiting solar laser stations could be adapted to support
interstellar journeys and ultimately, interstellar movement of small
colonies to other star systems. Replicating the space infrastructure
around a remote star that exists around Sol would allow any star
system to support millions of people - anywhere in the galaxy.
Ultimately a network of star systems will create a vast human
controlled space with vast possibilities for the production of wealth
in an environment of high adventure.


(Bill Bogen) wrote in message . com...
Charles Buckley wrote in message ...
Oren Tirosh wrote:
(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.




You can always dig a hole.

How, exactly? A low cost mission won't include a massive backhoe.
Explosives? We'd still have to move lots of rubble. By hand, with a
shovel while wearing a pressure suit? Much better to set up a roomy,
inflatable permanent base quickly in a lava tube, even if we have to
drive/send rovers 100s of kms to interesting sites.

The big enabler would be water resources.
That will drive site selection and tech development.

Another post states that the interior of lava tubes is probably at a
constant -21 degrees C. Comet impacts on the Moon could well have
flung some ice/water vapor down a lava tube where it condensed. This
is one resource our rover could look for. For a technical reference,
see 'The Adventures of Tin Tin: Destination Moon' by Herge.

(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.