NATURAL RESOURCES AND OUR FUTURE IN SPACE Chapter 2a

CHAPTER 2a

HOW DO WE PAY FOR IT?

The developing of new technologies associated with Nanotechnology, new Nuclear Technologies, Mass Accelerators, “Bucky” tubes and such, should all aid in the more cost effective ways of moving back into and around our local planetary system, starting with an ‘immediate’ return to the moon. The financing of this project should come primarily from those that will, in the long run, benefit from the mining of metals and non-metals and the manufacturing on the Lunar Surface.

Also, the Tourist demand should be utilized to help defray the costs of building the system. The Tourists could be offered a way to pay to be able to name parts of the facilities, in memorial to a person or an event, both in space, and on the Lunar Surface. They could even be allowed to have their name and the date that they were in the facility inscribed on a plaque at the station or at the Lunar Settlement for a price, with the affirmation that the plaques would be maintained for the life of the facility. Even providing burial vaults for the ashes of their loved ones in burial crypts on the surface of the moon for a reasonable price.

There have been plans for the past 70 years, or so, on how to build Lunar facilities. Plans including multi-launches of cargo laden Rockets to build, equip, and man a self sufficient Moon station. The Moon Station must become self sufficient in as short of a time period as possible using available quantities of Hydrogen compounds and Oxygen compounds that are found on the Moon's surface and can be used to generate the power and water requirements of the Moon Station. Power for the Moon Station may also utilize the new technology of Nano-engineering of silicon compounds to make better, less expensive Solar Cells for the production of energy for two weeks at a time to charge an “Energy Bank” of specially designed batteries, and/or use a small Nuclear Reactor of one of the newer designs that won’t melt down if there is a malfunction. The first products developed by the Lunar Station(s) should necessarily be consumed by the Station itself with surpluses put to work building an infrastructure to place products in either low lunar orbit or high Earth orbit for retrieval by robotic or manned shuttles or “Space Tugs.” The method of placing the products in orbit at either point should need only a small amount of fuel for Orbital corrections. Mass Drivers should be built that can move masses of products, and it should be one of the first on-going projects of the Lunar Facility. The size of the system will be increased as more material becomes available.

To support the effort to build and man a Lunar Station will require a moderate presence in low Earth Orbit initially to process the gear destined for the Moon. The initial station can serve as a small Tourist Hotel in Space by adding inflatable sections such as the ones proposed by Bigelow Aerospace Systems. There the Tourists can have a first hand look at the preparations for the return to the Moon and then the reach for Mars. Eventually the station will support the commercial Mars Missions.

There will need to be “Space Tugs” to move items around that will be too massive for a lone man to move without mechanical help. The wasting of Booster tanks and Fuel and Oxidizer Tanks has to stop. Everything that goes into orbit must be conserved and reused economically. As early as engineeringly possible “Mass Drivers” should be built on the Earth’s surface that can move materials into Earth orbit with only a small use of rockets to control and finalize the orbit. The manufacture of a “Mass Driver” based in the western mountains of the United States should be one of the higher priorities for the return to the Moon.

The Mass Drivers can throw all types of materials into low or high Earth orbit so long as the cargo is acceleration resistant. The fuels needed by the orbital “Service Station” can be delivered in bulk form with the use of the “Mass Driver.”

The non-use of any carrier item is an unnecessary loses of resources that can be used to increase the size and usability of the Space Station, including the rooms and environment for the Space Tourists. This expansion can also act as a service station, a sort of "Truck Stop" for Astronauts operating the “Space Tugs” and inter-orbital shuttles "Transfer Ships,” between low Earth orbit and lunar orbit as needed. There will be a need for “Service Stations” in both orbits. The Fuel and Oxidizer not expended by launch vehicles can be recovered and stored in the “Service Stations” for use at a later date. A “Manned Lander” will be required for personnel transfers to the surface of the Moon and return from the surface. There is a requirement for an orbital “Service Station” at the “Lunar Orbital Site” for the "Manned Landers". Sufficient fuel and oxidizers for the “Lunar Landers” need to be at the “Lunar Orbital Station” to move the station’s personnel to the “Lunar Surface Station” in case of Solar Flares so they can “Hunker Down” until the Storm is over.