The Moon: Resources, Future Development and Settlement, 2nd Edition

✍ Scribed by David Schrunk, Burton Sharpe, Bonnie L. Cooper, Madhu Thangavelu

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 608
• Series: Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration
• Edition: 2nd
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This extraordinary book details how the Moon could be used as a springboard for Solar System exploration. It presents a realistic plan for placing and servicing telescopes on the Moon, and highlights the use of the Moon as a base for an early warning system from which to combat threats of near-Earth objects. A realistic vision of human development and settlement of the Moon over the next one hundred years is presented, and the author explains how global living standards for the Earth can be enhanced through the use of lunar-based generated solar power. From that beginning, the people of the Earth would evolve into a spacefaring civilisation.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Dedication......Page 21
Preface......Page 22
Acknowledgements......Page 24
Foreword by Buzz Aldrin......Page 26
List of figures......Page 30
List of tables......Page 36
Author biographies......Page 38
Introduction......Page 40
1. Lunar origins and physical features......Page 48
2. Science opportunities - engineering challenges......Page 72
3. Lunar resources......Page 96
4. Lunar robotic and communication systems......Page 106
5. The first lunar base......Page 130
6. Return of humans to the Moon......Page 144
7. Circumferential lunar utilities......Page 164
8. The Planet Moon......Page 178
9. Governance of the Moon......Page 204
10. Endless frontiers......Page 216
11. Conclusion......Page 246
Appendix A Robots on Planet Moon......Page 248
Appendix B Lunar regolith properties......Page 282
Appendix C Lunar soil simulants......Page 304
Appendix D In-situ resource utilization (ISRU)......Page 316
Appendix E Proposed processes for lunar oxygen extraction......Page 352
Appendix F Facilitating space commerce through a lunar economic development authority......Page 402
Appendix G Quality standards for the lunar governance......Page 418
Appendix H Helium-3......Page 424
Appendix I NASA and self-replicating systems: Implications for nanotechnology......Page 428
Appendix J Human factors......Page 432
Appendix K Maglev trains and mass drivers......Page 446
Appendix L Development of the lunar economy......Page 452
Appendix M Lunar mysteries......Page 460
Appendix N Milestones of lunar development......Page 473
Appendix O International Lunar Observatory/Association......Page 474
Appendix P Cislunar orbital environment maintenance......Page 480
Appendix Q The Millennial Time Capsule and L-1 Artifacts’Museum......Page 494
Appendix R MALEO: Modular assembly in low Earth orbit......Page 504
Appendix S Logistics for the Nomad Explorer assembly assist vehicle......Page 524
Appendix T Beyond our first Moonbase: The future of human presence on the Moon......Page 544
Appendix U Lunar rock structures......Page 554
Appendix V Rapid prototyping: Layered metals fabrication technology development for support of lunar exploration at NASA/MSFC......Page 560
Bibliography......Page 572
Index......Page 598