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NASA Considers Plans for Permanent Moon Base

Posted by Zonk on from the ground-control-to-major-tom dept.

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?

12 of 353 comments (clear)

  1. Haven't they learned anything? by soccerisgod · · Score: 1, Informative

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

    --
    If a train station is a place where a train stops, what's a workstation?
  2. Indians are going... by pickyouupatnine · · Score: 2, Informative

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

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    _Vishal www.squad9.com
  3. Samarium mining by MadTinfoilHatter · · Score: 3, Informative

    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, 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.
  4. Re:Make it mobile by mangu · · Score: 5, Informative
    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.

  5. Re:Possibly ... by Narishma · · Score: 2, Informative

    Doesn't the ISS also have six months rotations ?

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    Mada mada dane.
  6. Re:Well at least we can dream by LaughingCoder · · Score: 3, Informative

    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?

    --
    The more you regulate a company, the worse its products become.
  7. Von Braun's body lies a moulderin' in the ground by dbIII · · Score: 3, Informative

    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.

  8. Moon Pirates by LupeSpywalper · · Score: 2, Informative

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

  9. Re:Already there by JockTroll · · Score: 0, Informative

    Commander Stryker will stop this

    It's Straker, ignorant loserboy nerd.

    --
    Geeks are so full of shit that "beating the crap out of them" takes a whole new meaning.
  10. TheBudgetGraph.com by Gary+W.+Longsine · · Score: 4, Informative

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

    --
    If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.
  11. Boxing? no. by Dion · · Score: 2, Informative

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

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    -- To dream a dream is grand, but to live it is divine. -- Leto ][
  12. Re:Von Braun's body lies a moulderin' in the groun by cheesybagel · · Score: 2, Informative

    Uh... no. The most powerful booster rocket engine being manufactured in the ex-USSR right now AFAIK is the RD-170 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, are a toy compared to them.