Placing a colony on a natural body would provide an ample source of material for construction and other uses in space, including shielding from cosmic radiation. Watch live Monday: SpaceX to launch 1st Starlink mission of 2021, 'Old Faithful' galaxy has brilliant outbursts every 114 days. Basic needs . Another dazzling sight on the moon would be a solar eclipse, which occurs when the Earth blocks the sun. Although there are many good reasons to go back to the Moon, it's tough to get a political consensus on spending taxpayer money to do it. NASA has also conducting tests to see if we would be happy on Mars by putting humans in a “Mars-like” dome for a year and see if they react well to the situation 10 . Testing not only engineering, but also life science aspects of this mission on the Moon would increase the chances of success. Eventually, many organisms adapted to spend all their time outside the sea, giving rise to all life on land. Two ways that the Moon can provide power are solar and nuclear. No doubt human beings will be living on the moon and on Mars and also on huge space stations floating in outer space. The asteroid, dubbed 2001 YB5, came within 520,000 miles of Earth on Monday, approximately twice the distance of the moon. This saves a huge amount of fuel (money). (Image credit: by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist). Approximately 4.5 billion years ago, a Mars-sized planetoid smashed into Earth as it was beginning to coalesce into a stable planet. July 16, 2019. The Moon can provide many benefits for those willing to overcome the risks and challenges associated with a lunar mission. Many space enthusiasts have long hoped to build a base on the moon, but the lunar surface's harsh environment wouldn't be an ideal place for humans to thrive. A trip to the Moon and back could be completed in under a week, and the surface is rich in resources. Finding large quantities of water on the Moon would be beneficial for future human missions to the Moon. New Moon. The Moon can provide us with great science data. In addition to solar power, there is evidence that Helium-3 may be available in usable quantities for nuclear fusion. Many scientists are interested to see what condition lunar heritage items are in, such as the Apollo landers, to understand what effects the lunar environment has on items after a long exposure time. Benefits of Living on the Moon A. Helium-3 mining . In 1969, when astronauts first set foot there, people talked excitedly about future lunar bases that could be built by the end of the 1970s.Unfortunately, they never happened. Through lunar geology we can also try to learn more about our planet. No doubt human beings will be living on the moon and on Mars and also on huge space stations floating in outer space. Join Professor Brian Cox to uncover the science behind surviving on the Moon. While some of the benefits are more long term, there are still short term benefits that make the Moon an attractive place for research and exploration, and the Google Lunar X PRIZE aims to make that research and exploration more common place. We could try living on the moon... but it might not be a good idea. There have been a lot of plans made, not just by the U.S., to return to the Moon. Space, the final frontier. The idea of building a lunar outpost has long captured people's imaginations. A lunar colonizer could jump and throw a ball six times higher and farther than on Earth. The lunar phase when the moon is not visible in the sky. The advantages of space exploration are mainly long-term advantages. The far side of the Moon is shielded from the noise of Earth’s co… Pros #4 - In an emergency it is the closest object to the earth. But what does the Moon give us in return? Visit our corporate site. © Unlike Earth, whose surface changes through natural means such as plate tectonics and erosion, the Moon's surface is a detailed history book detailing composition and impacts almost 4.5 billion years old. Learning more about these environmental effects will allow us to better design the next generation of vehicles or human habitats. The concept of CORE calls for a modular design that would use the Moon’s own geography and regolith to protect against the elements. NASA warns people that a human mission to Mars will be difficult and the potential for disaster is a high. CON: Sound can’t travel through a vacuum, so it won’t sound very good We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote. Similar to Titan, the main danger of living on Enceladus is the frigid cold. And so far, many tests have been done in order to sustain our lives on Mars. "About the only place we could build a base that wouldn't have to deal with these extremes is, oddly enough, near the lunar poles," said Rick Elphic, project scientist for NASA's LADEE probe, which studied the moon's atmosphere and dust environment before performing a planned crash into the natural satellitein April 2014. All rights reserved. Studies have shown that the lunar surface material could be used to make many of the components used in solar panels. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! Cons #4 -There also wouldn't be many places to put waste. SpaceX will launch its 1st Starlink satellites of 2021 on Monday. NASA warns people that a human mission to Mars will be difficult and the potential for disaster is a high. CHALLENGES OF LIVING ON THE MOON. Get breaking space news and the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more! Small spacecraft, such as Voyager 1, have traveled more than 138 AU from our planet since launching, with the goal of discovering what interstellar space may have in store. When it comes to our fragile frames, the Moon presents a number of biological problems. Space exploration. And though the moon is on average a whopping 238,855 miles (384,400 km) from Earth, sending your vacation or eclipse photos home to family and friends would take a little more than a second. "Every day is sunny with no chance of rain!" This infographic from Buddy Loans is about how much money might be spent for people to live in the moon. You will receive a verification email shortly. Now let’s turn to the advantages of living on the moon. If large areas of the Moon are developed into solar farms then energy could potentially be beamed back to Earth, or used on the Moon for surface operations or spacecraft charging. The Sun is very necessary for the other living organisms that it provides us with light for the vision and to do our work.. There has been much talk about becoming a solar society, but thus far it has been "talk" only. Historical Lunar Steps . Besides this incredible economy of mass, are there other advantages of space living over planet living? And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. Player jetpack fuel lasts a long time. If living on the moon’s surface for a sustained period is necessary, some experts have proposed covering shelters in a thick layer of water, because hydrogen works as a shield. Yet the signs are that this is now the case. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer. 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