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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?

6 of 353 comments (clear)

  1. The Lunar Asylum by dangitman · · Score: 0, Troll

    I say we use the moon as a place to exile enemies of humanity like George Bush and Dick Cheney. Throw Osama bin Laden in there too, make them share a bunk-bed.

    --
    ... and then they built the supercollider.
  2. global warming by deadlock911 · · Score: 0, Troll

    regular reentries cause a significant amount of heat, way to speed up global warming some more guys...

  3. Re:The Jewish Settlers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Careful! Once you have finished building your base some Jewish fundamentalists come along and claim that God gave them this peace of Land personally. If you resist they will call you terrorists and get the US military to blow up your base.

  4. Lets not get religion on the moon. by Tandoori+Haggis · · Score: 1, Troll

    IMHO organised religion should be prohibited on the moon. However, as we know all too well, various "world leaders" and terrorists, think that they hear their god talking to them and seem to enjoy misinterpreting their religious guide books. (Books and scripts which were written thousands of years ago, often in the same part of the world, funnily enough, translated, ammended, adapted and forked). No doubt they will insist on taking their gods to the moon.

    I've got nothing against people having faith or belief in something but I do have a problem with people trying to force those beliefs on to others. If organised religions start to become polular on the moon, will we see a repeat of the past few thousands of years on Earth?

    --
    My hyperlinks aren't worth the paper they're printed on.
  5. Re:Make it mobile by Mr2cents · · Score: 1, Troll

    Scientists, essentially, believe they know everything, and that their theories are perfect and complete, and how dare anyone suggest that perhaps we should look under unturned stones So that's why there hasn't been any real progress since Newton postulated his three laws of gravity! Except for some crackpots like Einstein and the like. Really, you just pulled that out of your ass and presented it as a fact. The current laws of physics are constantly being re-examined and tested. E.g. if scientists really were so sure of themselves, why would they build a satelite to measure how space and time are warped around the orbiting earth [1]? I just stopped reading your post right there. I hope I didn't miss anything interesting.

    And one more thing: if you really want to make things better, why don't you siphon some money from the military? Their budget seems without limit, yet all they accomplish is the destruction of any country they invade. Take money meant for destruction -> turn it into construction -> humanity wins 2X.

    [1]: http://einstein.stanford.edu/

    PS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paragraph (yes, this is a hint).
    --
    "It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey
  6. Re:That's our way by c6gunner · · Score: 0, Troll

    Hah! As if the French could ever make it to the moon....