NASA Considers Plans for Permanent Moon Base

el crowbar sent us a link to an MSNBC article detailing NASA's plans for a moon base. The permanently staffed structure could begin construction sometime in 2010, with six-month duty rotations the norm by 2025. Interestingly, the space agency is looking far afield for technical expertise. Consultants on the project include individuals from Caterpillar, Norcat, Boeing, and other manufacturing concerns. Right now the only detail for placement and purpose is 'on the rim of a crater near one of the poles', but the article outlines a few other ideas that enterprising individuals have in mind for a moon base. Besides helium-3 mining and lunar hotels, do you have any good ideas for a moon base startup?

Haven't they learned anything?

[soccerisgod]

Don't they know that a base on the moon is just going to be overrun by Cybermen? Duh!

Indians are going...

[pickyouupatnine]

Well the Indians are planning on making a moon trip... maybe everyone'll work together on the moon base.

Samarium mining

[MadTinfoilHatter]

Besides helium-3 mining and lunar hotels, do you have any good ideas for a moon base startup?

It has been suggested that the moon could be used to mine for elements that are rare here on Earth but common on the moon, such as samarium. Samarium is used in (among other things) extremely powerful magnets http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samarium-Cobalt_magne t [wikipedia.org], which in turn can be used for maglev trains. Of course it's not certain that such an operation would be economically feasible, but the are people who are seriously looking into it - and if nothing else, from what I've understood it could at least be a decent side-business if we do go to the moon.

Re:Make it mobile

[mangu]

The only places where the Earth rises and sets to even a small degree are close to the equator

That's not entirely true. The earth rises and sets in places all around the moon's circumference as seen from the earth, not only at the equator. The effect that makes the moon's face as seen from the earth move a little bit is called "libration". There is libration both in longitude and in latitude. For some points near the poles of the moon, libration in latitude can make the earth invisible at times. Formulas for calculating librations can be found in chapter 53 of this book [willbell.com].

Re:Possibly ...

[Narishma]

Doesn't the ISS also have six months rotations ?

Re:Well at least we can dream

[LaughingCoder]

I presume by "the administration" you are refering to the Hillary Clinton administration, because the article refers to construction *starting* in 2010. Unless you think Bush can somehow manage a 3rd term?

Von Braun's body lies a moulderin' in the ground

[dbIII]

You don't get to space by making budget cuts. With the current situation there is a US rocket company with their most highly advanced rocket motors as surplus motors from the failed N-1 rocket from Russia back from the early 1960's - that's the closest thing available to be able to put together anything as powerful as Von Braun's Saturn V.

Moon Pirates

[LupeSpywalper]

I'm sure The Pirate Bay [thepiratebay.org] would like to relocate in case the Sealand [wikipedia.org] thing doesn't work out. After all the Moon has the same legal status as international waters [wikipedia.org].

Re:Already there

[JockTroll]

Commander Stryker will stop this

It's Straker, ignorant loserboy nerd.

TheBudgetGraph.com

[Gary W. Longsine]

Perhaps you meant: Death and Taxes: A Visual Guide to Where Your Federal Tax Dollars Go [thebudgetgraph.com] rather than the domain squatting site budgetgraph.com.

Boxing? no.

[Dion]

Mass doesn't change, so the opponent will have his normal amount of inertia.

Re:Von Braun's body lies a moulderin' in the groun

[cheesybagel]

Uh... no. The most powerful booster rocket engine being manufactured in the ex-USSR right now AFAIK is the RD-170 [astronautix.com] used in the Zenith and Sea Launch vehicles. Which were designed for Energia, which is more recent than the Shuttle. Those modified N-1 engines you were talking about, the NK-33 [astronautix.com], are a toy compared to them.