So, we know how to get there. And how to move about when we have done so. But that just about establishes a beach-head, rather than a station, or spaceport, on the Moon. We have already noted how harsh an environment we face on the Moon. We could not be expected to survive very long in such a place without a few other basics in place. It might take a few trips before they can all be established. And it would be an unpromising way to start trying to operate a business before some of these essential infrastructure elements would be in place. None of them are of course there today. We could simply continue to live in our arrival vehicle, just as was done with Apollo, but that would not lead to a permanent settlement, so we need more. The initial landings under the US-led Artemis program are designed to be at the lunar poles, because that is the most likely place where water might be found. Due to astronomical geometry, there will be certain zones there, in relatively close mutual proximity, which will either be in permanent darkness, or in permanent sunlight. So, that means a permanent energy source. Under this chapter heading, we consider market sectors 3 thru 5, which represent an essential prerequisite infrastructure needing to be established, before we can contemplate the full blossoming of a lunar economy reflected in sectors 6 thru 11. The two organizations mentioned earlier, LSIC and LEAG, have been steadily working in these areas, sometimes including Apollo veterans within their group of expert advisors. I have taken part in Zoom calls during the last year when both David Scott and Harrison Schmitt (who walked on the Moon in 1971 and 1972, respectively) were able to offer practical advice for the new generation of lunar explorers, 50 years on from their own ventures (Scott, D and Schmitt, H). And, as recently as August 2023, the DARPA agency has also latterly shown interest in contributing to this necessary infrastructure and has begun to solicit proposals to address elements of these needs (DARPA, 2023).
Infrastructure
Lunar Commerce ; Chapter : 9 ; 67-80
2024-05-14
14 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
Infrastructure II - Infrastructure and Pantograph
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