[extropy-chat] SPACE: Back to the Moon (?)

[JAY DUGGER]

On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 07:48:19 -0600
  "Greg Burch" <gregburch at gregburch.net> wrote:
>The space policy nerdo-sphere is buzzing with rumors that 
>Bush will use
>the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Wright 
>Brothers' flight to
>announce a return to lunar exploration as a goal of U.S. 
>manned space flight.
>  See:
>
>  http://www.spacedaily.com/news/beyondleo-03a.html

I hate to play cynic on something so near and dear to me, 
but need I mention the ill-fated Space Exploration 
Initiative, proposed by Mr. Bush, Sr.? 

Watch here to see how the idea futures market, such as it 
is, takes the rumor.

http://www.ideosphere.com/fx-bin/Claim?claim=mndsxp

>The design and construction of the various 
>elements of the
>ISS could be turned to building modular "hab modules" and 
>other components
>of a reusable translunar vehicle and a surface base. 

I don't know if reuse could happen so easily. Lunar 
gravity shouldn't pose a problem, but what about radiation 
exposure during transit and then on Luna? Burying the 
modules in the regolith once they arrive seems the easiest 
way to shield them, but how much regolith do you need and 
can the modules take it over the long term? Remember once 
you bury them,  repairing the modules gets harder. How do 
you patch a leak from the inside only? One could do it, it 
just takes more effort.

If 
>my physics isn't
>too off, even the ISS's cockeyed orbital inclination 
>wouldn't be too much
>of a handicap, since the cross-inclination vectoring 
>could be leveraged
>during translunar trajectory insertion so that the 
>missions originating
>at the ISS could still get into a lunar-equatorial orbit 
>without too much
>delta-vee.  Is this latter conjecture on my part true?

I can't help here. Where's Nick Szabo when you need him?

Jay Dugger     :     Til Eulenspiegel
http://www.owlmirror.net/~duggerj
Sometimes delete serves best.