Discovery of Ancient 50km Lunar Cave Raises Hopes for human Colonisation of Moon

originally posted by: Phage

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

originally posted by: seasonal

3.5 billion years ago the volcanic tubes were formed, and perhaps would make a good base for "lunar cave men".

The pinnacle of all human achievement is when we moved back into caves.

Better on Luna. Much better.

I was born right here in Luna City, which seems to surprise Earthside types. Actually, I'm third generation; my grandparents pioneered in Site One, where the Memorial is. I live with my parents in Artemis Apartments, the new co-op in Pressure Five, eight hundred feet down near City Hall. But I'm not there much; I'm too busy.

I sculled gently and let myself glide toward the air intake at the middle of the floor—the Baby's Ladder, we call it, because you can ride the updraft clear to the roof, half a mile above, and never move a wing. When I felt it I leaned right, spoiling with right primaries, corrected, and settled in a counterclockwise soaring glide and let it carry me toward the roof.

A couple of hundred feet up, I looked around. The cave was almost empty, not more than two hundred in the air and half that number perched or on the ground—room enough for didoes. So as soon as I was up five hundred feet I leaned out of the updraft and began to beat. Gliding is no effort but flying is as hard work as you care to make it. In gliding I support a mere ten pounds on each arm—shucks, on Earth you work harder than that lying in bed. The lift that keeps you in the air doesn't take any work; you get it free from the shape of your wings just as long as there is air pouring past them.

www.baen.com...

always liked Robert Heinlein

It is actually logical and a fine discovery, if we are to make use of the moon's surface (Assuming of course we have not already eh!) then we would need survey data like this to find suitable site's, of course finding the site is only part of the survey because then we need specialist on site data on the cave itself and it's internal environment,rock structure and stability as well as any potential hazards.

So most likely our first base in the region would actually be in a nearby crater of some kind, deep enough to provide some protection from angular trajectory micro meteors and lunar splash from any recent impact's while providing a potential area to excavate smaller new underground lunar installations in the crater wall before we actually graduate onto turning lunar cavern systems already present into habitable environment's though of course that would be a definite outcome for all the reason's you mention such as the potential to mine in cave system's that must have some stability to have survived the vast number of impact's the lunar surface has received since they were likely formed.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
The pinnacle of all human achievement is when we moved back into caves.

Just don't try to conk a woman on the head and drag her by her hair into your cave to be your mate. She'll be all over the news.

originally posted by: surfinguru
So maybe good old John Lear wasn't so crazy after all?

Let's not go that far.

a reply to: ANNED
You reminded me. I used the wrong terminology.

It's not "on Luna", it's "in Luna."

a reply to: abeverage

What's the name of the vid as it is "unavailable" for me (along with 80% of all vids folks post).

Being far too open- minded, I, too, partially swallow the "secret space force-previous high tech civ" lunacy.

originally posted by: Blue Shift

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
The pinnacle of all human achievement is when we moved back into caves.

Just don't try to conk a woman on the head and drag her by her hair into your cave to be your mate. She'll be all over the news.

In the vacuum of space nobody will be able to hear her bitching.

Better make sure its not already being used...

a reply to: pirhanna

originally posted by: eManym
Not sure if that would be a good choice for colony. With thousands of tons of rock over their heads, one close meteor strike would cause everything to go squish.

Actually, it's the opposite. One reason they're looking for caves in the first place is because they've realized that the Moon gets hit with far more small strikes than previously believed. Cave bases would solve that problem.

The moon experiences a heavier bombardment by small meteoroids than models had predicted, according to new observations from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft. The result implies that lunar surface features thought to be young because they have relatively few impact craters may be even younger than previous estimates.

The finding also implies that equipment placed on the moon for long durations -- such as a lunar base -- may have to be made sturdier. While a direct hit from a meteoroid is still unlikely, a more intense rain of secondary debris thrown out by nearby impacts may pose a risk to surface assets.

Earth's Moon Hit by Surprising Number of Meteoroids

originally posted by: Blue Shift

originally posted by: surfinguru
So maybe good old John Lear wasn't so crazy after all?

Let's not go that far.

Just so we're clear, I was totally joking!

At any rate, this is a cool discovery. Not sure that we'll see anything done with this information in our lifetime, but a cool find none the less.

Carry on!

originally posted by: eManym
Not sure if that would be a good choice for colony. With thousands of tons of rock over their heads, one close meteor strike would cause everything to go squish.

The same can be said for the surface. The main problem is that the moon is constantly being bombarded by meteorites, micro-meteorites and nano-meteorites. For every meteorite 1 meter in size, there are eight time 0.5 meters in size. This scales all the way downwards to single atoms and upwards towards 100km radius asteroids. Fortunately, the probability of a strike also decreases with size. The depth of the resulting crater is about 1/10th the original radius of the meteorite.

Then there is the ionizing radiation from the Sun with the solar wind and CMEs. Being underground is therefore safer than than being on the surface.

originally posted by: Baddogma
a reply to: abeverage

What's the name of the vid as it is "unavailable" for me (along with 80% of all vids folks post).

Being far too open- minded, I, too, partially swallow the "secret space force-previous high tech civ" lunacy.

Disney Education Animation - Man and the Moon 1955

Moon Cave Home…
Just dreaming, lil’ terraforming, ok use your imagination.
I personally would like the pool part.


Actually the opening goes straight down then out

www.21stcentech.com...

Artist rendering

www.isas.jaxa.jp...

a reply to: abeverage

I loved those movies in school. I was the AV monitor!
Mars and Beyond was my favorite.

Ummmm . . . how come they can use water or ice as a viable fuel under the moon but not on earth?

a reply to: JDeLattre89

Because it is allowed.

Kidding, perhaps the solar power with the limited atmosphere will be much more efficient making the hydrogen gens run much better.

a reply to: seasonal

Also, no clouds.
Of course, not really much need for hydrogen fuel either. Oh wait, those 2 week nights.

a reply to: seasonal

About eighteen years ago, i saw a beam of light hitting that spot, it looked like it came from behind the moon, from deep space.

I will never forget it.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: abeverage

I loved those movies in school. I was the AV monitor!
Mars and Beyond was my favorite.

You're aging yourself! Yes such optimism and imagination, using Television and movies as education or inspiration...

Where are we now? Stuck on earth scrolling on smart phones.