Lunar In Situ Resource Utilization - Gat's Gulch Planning Exercise
Imagine that, to get away from the tyranny of Earth's looters and moochers, the most viable option becomes the moon. As if you were developing Galt's Gulch from scratch, please contribute to a thought exercise in how you would contribute to such a colony.
This isn't just a thought exercise. A company near me has subcontracted me to do plan the logistics of mining, refining, and then 3D printing of lunar regolith. There has been a lot published on this subject.
http://my.fit.edu/~jbrenner/firehawk/...
name = fltech password = brenner
The open literature on the subject is in a 1/2 Gb file:
http://my.fit.edu/~jbrenner/firehawk/...
name = fltech password = brenner
This isn't just a thought exercise. A company near me has subcontracted me to do plan the logistics of mining, refining, and then 3D printing of lunar regolith. There has been a lot published on this subject.
http://my.fit.edu/~jbrenner/firehawk/...
name = fltech password = brenner
The open literature on the subject is in a 1/2 Gb file:
http://my.fit.edu/~jbrenner/firehawk/...
name = fltech password = brenner
How much capital would be needed to fund such an effort?
If lunar surface capable robots were sent today to build habitats for humans, how many years would we have to prepare for departure?
Sending humans today or in the early years of development (other than a relatively few technicians) would not be rational, imo, unless the humans are political refugees who have no other place to go and are willing to die because accidents will occur. Humans have almost no experience with "normal" activities in low gravity. What are the dangers from "normal" radiation and solar activity without the protection that our planet provides?
As much as I'd like to leave oppression behind, I'd be of more use in support of the effort and I'd certainly be interested in doing so even if it may be many years before I could travel to the Gulch.
Now. to the crux. The regolith presents the most abundant supply of material with which to build. Myself, not knowing the the exact composition of the regolith but supposing it to be similar to volcanic ash, a fluid binder which quickly sets would be the basis of all surface construction. As a point of information, the ancient Romans used volcanic ash as a component of the concrete mixtures of many buildings and constructions which is still intact today. Tuff stuff.
The construction of living and support structures would probably be the next priority. These would include sleeping spaces, maintenance/repair workshops, hydroponic areas for food production and oxygen generation, solar power generation to recharge batteries and maintain living and support structures. The use of potassium tetraoxide (I am no chemist by any stretch of the imagination) in 'The Far Look' as a source of generated oxygen could act as a stop gap until the hydroponic system generates enough to fulfill needs and to provide an emergency source, if needed.
As in 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress', the majority of activity would be beneath the surface. Tunnel mining, using the spoil suspended in a binder to brace tunnel walls, would form the greater living and support spaces for the inhabitants. Certain tunnels would be dedicated to food and oxygen production, When sufficient space has been opened to allow forage type growth, food animal embryos can be reanimated and placed in those areas. Animal waste should be gathered to be used as fertilizer for personal garden spaces for those who choose to do so.
How could I contribute? Did anyone ever watch a Mike Rowe series called 'Dirty Jobs'? Yep, that's me. No scientist or geek, I can readily do most jobs which employ a pair of willing hands and a modicum of experiential learning. I have a B.A. in History/English (yes, your typical Liberal Arts stuff) and a Master's Degree in Public Administration and am a retired military officer so those probably won't count for much there.
Unless you need a word Nazi for your documents.
Those same minerals will also be used as the oxygen source. You were pretty close.
I would think 20-30 years very optimistic for a viable independent habitat of adequate size to support a human population anywhere off the earth.