Debates
07 Jul 22
07 Jul 22
I saw that this morning on the Today Show. I suspected it was China as I wrote on my thread in the science forum, but my government accusing them of trying to take over the moon seems a bit paranoid to me. Has anybody taken over Antarctica yet? LOL
I think the paranoia is because of the fact the moon is tidally locked so we only see one side of it and not the other side. That means a nation could possibly build a base on the other side of the moon and nobody on earth could see it. That is why my government wants to put a satellite in orbit around the moon to monitor what may or may not be happening there.
This is also good stuff for a science fiction film. If an alien race were to want to monitor our activity in secret they might build a base on the other side of the moon. That way we can never see them, but I suppose a moon base could be under the surface and hard to detect until a space craft were to travel there. All sorts of fictional possibilities.
07 Jul 22
@mghrn55 saidI never understood that album name. The dark side is not always dark. The moon day lasts as long as it's rotation around the earth because it is tidally locked. 28 earth days.
Pink Floyd already owns the dark side. 😛
Here is a decent article. It was NASA Administrator Bill Nelson that lost his mind.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10980181/China-rejects-NASA-accusation-moon.html
I think this was set off by the crash on the moon that some nation is not talking about. Who done it?
https://www.kxan.com/news/nasa-calls-mystery-rocket-crash-on-moon-highly-unusual-2/
07 Jul 22
@metal-brain saidThe album ends with a whisper: “ There is no dark side of the moon, really. Matter of fact it's all dark.”
I never understood that album name. The dark side is not always dark. The moon day lasts as long as it's rotation around the earth because it is tidally locked. 28 earth days.
Here is a decent article. It was NASA Administrator Bill Nelson that lost his mind.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10980181/China-rejects-NASA-accusation-moon.html
I think ...[text shortened]... Who done it?
https://www.kxan.com/news/nasa-calls-mystery-rocket-crash-on-moon-highly-unusual-2/
07 Jul 22
@shavixmir saidBut it isn't all dark.
The album ends with a whisper: “ There is no dark side of the moon, really. Matter of fact it's all dark.”
07 Jul 22
@averagejoe1 saidYes, I read China has some plans to do this. It seems like a waste of resources to take over an airless rock with such temperature extremes, but hey - it's their resources so I don't give a hoot.
Several news stories on it, China denies it. Maybe you science bloggers can enlighten us.
07 Jul 22
@mchill saidSince there is water on the moon it is a potential fuel source if they can separate the hydrogen with electricity from solar. There is also enough magnesium and aluminum to make an alloy to build space ships if a moon base can be built.
Yes, I read China has some plans to do this. It seems like a waste of resources to take over an airless rock with such temperature extremes, but hey - it's their resources so I don't give a hoot.
It is basically a race for space dominance. The low gravity of the moon can cut costs of making stuff on earth and fighting our planet's gravity to get it into space. The moon has 1/20th of the earth's gravity. Manufacturing on the moon will happen, it is just a question of when. The race is on.
07 Jul 22
4 edits
@metal-brain saidManufacturing on the moon will happen, it is just a question of when. The race is on.
Since there is water on the moon it is a potential fuel source if they can separate the hydrogen with electricity from solar. There is also enough magnesium and aluminum to make an alloy to build space ships if a moon base can be built.
It is basically a race for space dominance. The low gravity of the moon can cut costs of making stuff on earth and fighting our plane ...[text shortened]... rth's gravity. Manufacturing on the moon will happen, it is just a question of when. The race is on.
That all sounds thrilling, but without breathable air, infrastructure, and the means to shield against the extreme heat and cold temp's those resources are basically worthless, especially considering the cost of transporting the necessary people, food, air and materials such a distance, but it might be fun watching the Chinese government and their giant ego make a horse race of it.
07 Jul 22
@mchill saidYes, Antarctica is a better place to live than on the moon and nobody wants to take that over. The assertion that China wants to take over the moon in the short term is nonsense. They want to put a moon base there. The USA just hates to be behind them and are afraid if China manufactures on the moon they could dominate space in general in the long term. That is why some Americans are freaking out in much the same way they did over Sputnik.
That all sounds great, but without breathable air, infrastructure, and the means to shield against the extreme heat and cold temp's those resources are basically worthless, but it might be fun watching the Chinese government and their giant ego make a horse race of it.
07 Jul 22
@metal-brain saidWell saints be praised; we agree on something. 🙂
Yes, Antarctica is a better place to live than on the moon and nobody wants to take that over. The assertion that China wants to take over the moon in the short term is nonsense. They want to put a moon base there. The USA just hates to be behind them and are afraid if China manufactures on the moon they could dominate space in general in the long term. That is why some Americans are freaking out in much the same way they did over Sputnik.
07 Jul 22
@mchill saidAsteroid mining could happen after a moon base too. Don't forget that.
Well saints be praised; we agree on something. 🙂
From the link below:
"The Moon is a prime space mining target. Boosted by NASA’s mining solicitation, it is likely the first location for commercial mining. The Moon has several advantages. It is relatively close, requiring a journey of only several days by rocket and creating communication lags of only a couple seconds — a delay small enough to allow remote operation of robots from Earth. Its low gravity implies that relatively little energy expenditure will be needed to deliver mined resources to Earth orbit."
https://www.milkenreview.org/articles/mining-in-space-is-coming
@mchill saidNow McHill......Hey, I just found a 1778 newspaper article saying there could never be a way to communicate other than standing face to face, or, the mail, or carrier pigeon.
Manufacturing on the moon will happen, it is just a question of when. The race is on.
That all sounds thrilling, but without breathable air, infrastructure, and the means to shield against the extreme heat and cold temp's those resources are basically worthless, especially considering the cost of transporting the necessary people, food, air and materials such a distance, but it might be fun watching the Chinese government and their giant ego make a horse race of it.
