The moon becomes a 'stop' for humans to travel to other parts of the solar system
The moon could be a huge rocket swap and a stopping point for humans to travel to other parts of the solar system in 2069 – the 100th anniversary of the first moon landing.
This month marks 53 years since humanity made the giant leap and NASA’s Apollo 11 mission placed US astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the surface of the brightest satellite on Earth.
Now space scientists around the world are considering how the moon could become a “changeable” launch pad for the next half century.
Watch the latest News on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >>
“You’re not too far away (from thinking there might be) a Maccas drive-through,” jokes Swinburne University of Technology astrophysicist Sara Webb.
Currently, scientists are trying to calculate whether it is possible to put a space station into orbit around the moon, with a view to sending people to Mars or even further into space.
“I think that will be the future. Our next step from Earth is to figure out how we can use the moon to our advantage,” Webb told AAP this week.
“This is the perfect testing ground, a sandbox to test how we build habitats, how do we grow crops? Can we mine the moon?”
To that end, NASA plans to return humans to the lunar surface within three years.
Later this year, NASA will launch Artemis I – the first in a series of Artemis missions that aim to support future human exploration of the moon and Mars.
Artemis I is an unmanned test flight of the Orion spacecraft, propelled by what NASA says is the “world’s most powerful rocket”, which will travel to the moon.
Orion will fly 100 kilometers above the surface and use the moon’s gravitational force to hurl itself thousands of kilometers out, where it will remain in orbit for six days collecting data as its performance is assessed by NASA mission control on earth.
Artemis II, to be launched in 2024, will be the first crewed test flight of four astronauts and will pave the way for the Artemis III mission to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2025.
It will be the first crewed lunar landing on the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
Former Space Shuttle astronaut and NASA deputy administrator Pam Melroy this month highlighted the goals of the Artemis mission and praised the “major strides” made by Australia since the founding of the Australian Space Agency in 2018.
“The timing is perfect from our point of view at NASA, especially as we’re building a coalition to send humans back to the moon, this time to stay,” he told a space industry forum in Adelaide via videolink.
‘Confusing the mind’
When humans first landed on the moon on July 20-21, 1969 – using only a fraction of the technology found in the average iPhone – discussions began about creating a permanent base for astronauts to travel from earth.
It used to be science fiction stuff, now it can become reality, Webb says.
“Sounds confusing,” he admits.
“But we are entering an era of reusable rockets … which makes the cost per launch more affordable.
“It is very conceivable that in the near future a trip on a rocket ship will cost as much as a ticket around the world.”
In the late 1900s, countries competed with each other in the race for space, but these days participants, including private industry, tend to work together regardless of nationality.
“This is a great time for countries to collaborate with each other, try and achieve common goals – and one of those, interestingly, is going back to the moon,” Webb said.
But not all countries agree. China and Russia accuse the US of trying to create international space laws that benefit its own interests.
The US Artemis Agreement, which is a prerequisite for countries taking part in the Artemis program, is the latest operational version of the Outer Space Treaty.
Treaty country space may only be used for peaceful purposes and under no circumstances will war bases be permitted.
“But outer space is like international waters,” Webb said. “How can you mandate the agreement?”
#moon #stop #humans #travel #parts #solar #system
Comments
Post a Comment