What are the components and considerations of an ideal yet realistic moon colony?
If you were going to the moon, what would you need to have? For decades, many people have wondered what the perfect moon colony could look like. One day, the need may arise when humans have to settle on the moon if something devastating occurs on Earth. Much research has been done on this topic, and there is currently lots of information that is widely available to the general public. Every piece of relevant research that humanity knows must be made into a collection of usable information to help find what the most important components are of such a settlement. The planning behind such an undertaking must be perfect before the colony can be set up, so therefore it is vital that this knowledge is compiled. There are numerous different factors of what makes up a lunar colony, which will be discussed here.
What the buildings themselves will be constructed from is one important consideration for a lunar colony. Most surface structures will likely be made from lunar regolith, which is a type of lunar soil. Regolith is able to be used in concrete, smelted into bricks or otherwise made into very strong material. It also happens to be an effective anti-radiation shield, which is very important as there is no protective magnetic field or atmosphere protecting the moon from the sun’s radiation. Refining this regolith into usable construction material will also allow these buildings to be airtight and structurally sound. In addition, the refinement of this lunar regolith will also produce non-negligible amounts of oxygen, which is naturally found within the soil. As a result, the large-scale production of buildings on the moon using lunar material will not only serve as a reliable and common building alternative to conventional material found on Earth, but it would also drastically reduce the amount of content delivered from Earth to the moon. It would be an economically beneficial and environmentally sustainable choice.
When considering these types of structures, it is important to note that not all of them actually need to be located on the surface. Building in lunar caves and lava tubes will provide sufficient protection against the sun’s radiation alongside providing structurally sound supporting material. This would reduce the amount of dedicated structural support and radiation shielding material that is required. Some disadvantages to building inside these caves is that they need to be sealed off if people are to move openly and unprotected within them, and access to the surface is rather limited. Additionally, if the structures within are built poorly, there is a small but imperative risk of cave-ins. If this is planned around, however, then building inside a lunar cave can be nearly as desirable as building primarily surface-based structures, if not more so. (Järvstråt, 7–9)
Ideally, the settlement would need to be as Earth-independent as possible. Therefore, there must be a very large number of dedicated resource utilities present in order to make the colony as sufficient as possible: one such necessity is electricity. Due to the moon’s hostile conditions, it is impossible for humans to live on the moon unsupported, so therefore electricity is critical. Many methods of power generation will be limited, considering that large sources of generation used on Earth such as hydrothermal or coal-based powering are not realistic. The moon does not provide water-based energy, wind energy or combustible resources, and geothermal energy is not accessible because the depth required to gain energy is too great. Therefore the most optimal means of generating electricity will be through a photovoltaic array, which is a large area filled with solar panels. The use of an optimized variant of such a system, coupled with a regenerative fueling system, would be a sustainable means of generating power specifically for use on the moon. (Brinker, 594–596)
Sustainable oxygen production is another requirement to live on the moon. One of the most effective methods of production is refining lunar soil, which has a substantial amount of oxygen, and efficiently capturing the gas released from the material. Dispensing and distributing this oxygen is also a major concern, and the security of its containment must be guaranteed. Ensuring that all airlocks, pressurizing systems and storage units have a maximum efficiency and a minimum leakage rate is critical for both immediate and longer-term survival. (Dalton et al., 42–46)
Many people wonder what the purpose of a lunar colony should be, and who it can hold. There are several ideas about how it can do this, and most agree that it is best for the colony to develop in the long-term. One such model proposes the following: at first, a small number should inhabit the colony and set up their own base, setting up shelter and systems for generating required resources as soon as possible. Once a sustainable level of production is reached, it will be appropriate to begin research that will benefit long-term lunar colonization, and to plan for expanding the colony. At this point, more people should join the colony and at that point it would be appropriate to set up structures with the final goal of introducing a full-size civilization to the moon. It is unclear what should happen after this, because a very long time will pass before that becomes a possibility. Until then, humans will have to use their best efforts to ensure that such a colony will be successful and operational, coming as close as possible to remove any chance of disaster. For example, some events, like a very large magnetic solar storm, would be very hard to prepare for adequately and would be catastrophic for a colony. Lots of careful planning is required in order to consider setting up a lunar settlement. (Dalton et al., 4–7)
Many people wonder what the purpose of a lunar colony should be, and who it can hold. There are several ideas about how it can do this, and most agree that it is best for the colony to develop in the long-term. One such model proposes the following: at first, a small number should inhabit the colony and set up their own base, setting up shelter and systems for generating required resources as soon as possible. Once a sustainable level of production is reached, it will be appropriate to begin research that will benefit long-term lunar colonization, and to plan for expanding the colony. At this point, more people should join the colony and at that point it would be appropriate to set up structures with the final goal of introducing a full-size civilization to the moon. It is unclear what should happen after this, because a very long time will pass before that becomes a possibility. Until then, humans will have to use their best efforts to ensure that such a colony will be successful and operational, coming as close as possible to remove any chance of disaster. For example, some events, like a very large magnetic solar storm, would be very hard to prepare for adequately and would be catastrophic for a colony. Lots of careful planning is required in order to consider setting up a lunar settlement. (Dalton et al., 4–7)
Because of all of the planning required, it would be a very bad idea to allow colonies to start without ensuring that they will be successful, even in the short term. One way of helping the setting up phase of these colonies is to send unmanned supply ships, so that the colonists will have adequate food supplies while also getting some extra material for early construction. All of this will be very expensive to send, however, so economic concerns are valid. According to NASA, it cost $10,000 to put one pound into Earth’s orbit alone in 2008 (NASA.gov). Although that information is old and may not be as accurate now, it is telling of just how expensive this process will be, from the initial colony set-up to regular supply drops. Therefore, every shipment of supplies or people to the moon must be carefully planned, most likely months or years in advance.
Because of all of the planning required, it would be a very bad idea to allow colonies to start without ensuring that they will be successful, even in the short term. One way of helping the setting up phase of these colonies is to send unmanned supply ships, so that the colonists will have adequate food supplies while also getting some extra material for early construction. All of this will be very expensive to send, however, so economic concerns are valid. According to NASA, it cost $10,000 to put one pound into Earth’s orbit alone in 2008 (NASA.gov). Although that information is old and may not be as accurate now, it is telling of just how expensive this process will be, from the initial colony set-up to regular supply drops. Therefore, every shipment of supplies or people to the moon must be carefully planned, most likely months or years in advance.
Beginning a lunar colony will bring forth a large amount of social and ethical considerations. Many people wonder who would be able to participate, or if only the wealthy will ever visit, and perhaps if the colony is a long-term plan for human survival. These are very complex questions and the answers are debated among professionals, but there are some likely answers. In the colony’s early stages, only researchers, healthcare professionals and construction personnel will likely be present. After the colony has reached a sufficient capacity, it is less clear who will enter afterward. Realistically speaking, it will be very expensive for a civilian to participate in the colony considering that lots of resources are extremely limited, and sufficient training will be required for anyone who wants to join. In order to accommodate more people, expanding the colony further or creating more settlements will be likely. Ideally, far into the future, having a large number of fully-developed lunar civilizations available may be able to serve as a contingency plan in the case of a foreseen catastrophic event on Earth that does not affect the moon.
There is also the question of financing this operation. NASA, who currently has plans to start establishing a colony, has requested $28 billion in funding from the U.S. Congress (Neilson). Plenty of people argue that this extremely large quantity of money should not be allocated toward the colonization efforts but rather other areas such as infrastructure, education and other areas of public service. Others say that Congress should fund some philanthropic efforts instead. Another ethical dilemma is whether or not only wealthy individuals will be able to enter the colony as a civilian, for reasons discussed in the last paragraph, instead of allowing all people to reasonably be able to enter. In addition, many environmentalists question the impacts, on both the moon and the Earth, of preparing the materials required to start and continue supporting the colony. Problems like these can affect public support of the operation, and having the public population actively against it may induce delays in setting up. Many researchers do cite a lack of support being the reason that very little efforts have been made in moon exploration and moon landings since 1972. (Mosher)
Because of the vast amount of planning that is required, it will take a long time to develop complete plans and actually begin the colonization process. Early estimates suggest that NASA will attempt to begin colonization as early as 2024, which assumes that everything will go perfectly according to plan, and that it receives the requested $28 billion in funding from the U.S. Congress. (Neilson) Because of these barriers, it is very likely that the first stages of the process will commence later than 2024. Despite these conditions, though, it is not unlikely that they will start before only 10 years from that time. Because of how soon their planned efforts are, it is imperative that all things are considered and planned out far before that time. When efficiently using complete information about buildings, resources, civilizations, and finances, it’s not only possible, but likely that we will see a moon colony in our lifetimes.
Works Cited:
Brinker, and Flood. Advanced Photovoltaic Power System Technology For Lunar Base Applications. 1992, http://adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1992lbsa.conf..593B.
Dalton, et al. Conceptual Design Of A Lunar Colony. 1972, https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=NtZQAAAAYAAJ.
“NASA — Advanced Space Transportation Program Fact Sheet”. Nasa.Gov, 2008, https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/background/facts/astp.html.
Neilson, and Mosher. ScienceAlert, 2021, www.sciencealert.com/nasa-just-unveiled-its-details-and-risky-plan-to-get-humans-back-on-the-moon-by-2024.
Mosher, and Brueck. ScienceAlert, 2018, www.sciencealert.com/astronauts-explain-why-nobody-s-visited-the-moon-in-more-than-45-years-and-the-answer-s-a-little-depressing.
