Lunar mining just moonshine for now

[n0mad23]

It could be a good industrial base, at least in terms of metals and oxygen as raw resources. I still think refinement and forming would be be done probably at L2.


Ultimately, if the investment was made, it would be cheaper to build most of interplanetary craft from the metals made from lunar sources. Simply because of the energy requirements of the gravity well, and the lack of atmosphere causing friction as well.

But I also think that using the Moon in this capacity, we'd have to rethink some of the materials and their uses as well. For example, basalt while being incredibly brittle is also really friendly in terms of melting and reforming. For tether applications, it makes sense to use this stuff as ballast rather than aluminum or titanium.

If another precursor can be found in the manufacture of aerogel, this too could be made both on the Moon and at L2, and used for various insulation applications. On the moon, it could provide both thermal insulation and shielding for micrometeorites and radiation. For spacecraft, again it would be useful for both these things, and has the added benefit of having such low mass. And we all know how important that is after chewing on fingernails watching our precious fuel supply dwindle during delta-v burns.

But other than for mining, our Moon's certainly not a place to build permanent colonies.

 

[Andy44]

But other than for mining, our Moon's certainly not a place to build permanent colonies.

That should be left to those willing to try to decide. I'm no expert on space law and treaties, but I think we foolishly threw barriers in front of future private parties who wish to give it a shot.

As far as I'm concerned, if you want to raise money yourself, and you think you can make your colony work, go for it.

A government colony on the Moon is not likely to amount to anything other than a research outpost, not a full-scale colony.

 

[n0mad23]

That should be left to those willing to try to decide. I'm no expert on space law and treaties, but I think we foolishly threw barriers in front of future private parties who wish to give it a shot.

Agreed. Remember back in the `80's, NASA put forth the possibility that private interests could take possession of nearly empty EFTs that the Shuttle would bootstrap into orbit. Think this possibility's still on the table?

It's really too bad. I think a lot of us who are old enough to actually remember Gemini and Apollo feel a little cheated by how things have actually gone.