Our civilization's future has many opportunities and constraints. Especially, while we remain fixed to Earth's gravity well, we are limited to material that is available on Earth and anything that transcends from space in to our lower atmosphere. Given this, our future on this planet is constrained by the amount of available resources; in particular, energy. One can even scale a civilization by its energy availability as in the following table.
Type 1 |
a civilization that harnesses all the energy on one planet |
Type 2 |
a civilization that harnesses all the energy from one star |
Type 3 |
a civilization that harnesses all the energy from one galaxy |
To push our civilization past Earth's lower atmosphere, we need to maintain and extend our spacefaring capability. Our next step, after the International Space Station, is to encamp people upon the Moon's surface. The encampment has people living self-sufficiently on the Moon, growing their food and leading productive lives. For our civilization, both energy and material availability greatly increase. Another benefit is that resource extraction on Earth will decrease thus lowering the ruination of our natural living space.With this, our civilization has made its first foray into off-planet resource acquisition.
A permanent settlement on the Earth's Moon naturally extends the progress made with the International Space Station. An encampment at the Moon's pole gives our civilization survival techniques and provides it with an opportunity to survey for resources, trial processing techniques and initiate trade practises.
The main function of the lunar encampment is to provide the necessities for human survival and to enable human advancement. Survival entails maintaining the human body with adequate nutrition and water together with air. These are the basis for powering the body's locomotion and the brain's processing. Workshops and laboratories put current technology at the fingertips of the residents. These allow the residents to continue the human traits of research and development. Starting here, people move to colonize the Moon.
The NASA Man-Systems Integration Standards (NASA-STD-3000) recommends a minimum habitable volume for mission durations of 4 months or longer of about 20 m3. Other sources suggest 120 m3 per person [Eckart].
The South lunar pole is the most amenable to an encampment. Water can be extracted from the lunar regolith and used for rocket fuel and drinking. Perpetual sun and shade allows for the common heat transfer cycle and thus power generation.
This lunar encampment grows from continual deliveries from Earth. Robotic equipment prepares the site much as done with the ISS. People follow. the following timeline demonstrates its growth;
by Mark Foster Mortimer
Copyright © 2010 - Mark Foster Mortimer
All Rights Reserved
Webmaster: Mark Mortimer -