The Moon: Resources, Future Development, and Settlement

✍ Scribed by Dr David G. Schrunk MD, Mr Burton L. Sharpe, Dr Bonnie L. Cooper, Mr Madhu Thangavelu (auth.)

• Publisher: Praxis
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 587
• Series: Springer Praxis Books
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The Moon: Resources, Future Development and Settlement describes feasible human settlement of the Moon in the coming century. Small scale, tele-operated and autonomous robotic in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) projects are first, followed by electric power, communication, and transportation networks manufactured from lunar resources. These infrastructure networks are field tested an commissioned in the polar regions of the Moon, and permanent human settlements are then established. Through several phases of development, the utility networks grow, and the number of permanently inhabited bases increases to inculde all areas of interest on the Moon. The book stresses that the envisioned "Planet Moon Project" will link the technological and cultural expertise of humanity to the virtually limitless resources of space. From that beginning, the people of the Earth reap substatntial benefits from space, and the human species will evolve into a spacefaring civilization.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages i-xlvi
Lunar origins and physical features....Pages 1-24
Science opportunities — engineering challenges....Pages 25-47
Lunar resources....Pages 49-58
Lunar robotic and communication systems....Pages 59-81
The first lunar base....Pages 83-95
Return of humans to the Moon....Pages 97-115
Circumferential lunar utilities....Pages 117-129
The Planet Moon....Pages 131-155
Governance of the Moon....Pages 157-168
Endless frontiers....Pages 169-197
Conclusion....Pages 199-199
Back Matter....Pages 201-561

✦ Subjects

Popular Science in Astronomy; Space Exploration and Astronautics; Extraterrestrial Physics, Space Sciences; Astronomy; Planetology