Lunar Base

November 4, 2022

In the near future, humanity will reach out to the stars and not metaphorically but literally. NASA and other space agencies plan to establish a permanent base on the lunar surface, which could serve as a launching point for traveling to Mars and beyond.

Other uses of this base could include mining captured asteroids or meteorites that would circle the Moon using its gravity for obtaining rare metals that are running in low supply on Earth. With the Artemis spaceship scheduled to launch in late 2024, establishing a base is essential for creating a stable environment for research and data collection about the lunar surface.

The difficulties in constructing a lunar base along with geopolitical arguments about which nations control the Moon are a challenge. The lunar rock surface contains the potential of creating enough oxygen for approximately 8 billion people and also the materials for building structures, but to convert the surface material into such will require a conversion station that will require a lot of energy.

All possibilities of having a self-sustaining colony to conduct the research of any upcoming task such as a manned voyage to Mars and having the ability to resupply seem to be within a reasonable goal.

Other ideas include using the Moon as the ultimate energy source by placing photovoltaic solar panels across the surface to create enough energy to supply the entire world and eliminate the need for any carbon-emitting refineries.

Despite, all the challenges facing NASA and other space agencies around the globe, the essential missions could not only help space exploration but many problems on Earth. Currently, the metals needed to run computers and cell phones are being depleted at a very fast rate, and the meteorites in our solar system contain these very rare metals. Utilizing the Moon's gravity to capture and mine these meteorites is one of the future goals being established by all space agencies involved in setting up lunar bases on the Moon.