Space exploration, should we ever colonize the moon or are we only focusing on mars?

Colonizing the moon would be a great start to deep space exploration. Due to the low gravity we have an easier ability to build large space vessles that would take years to build on Earth, and we'll have a better ability to launch humans to Mars. Mineral on the moon could mabye supply stronger metals then here on earth, but one problem is the low gravity effecte on bones. I think its sofar not possible to simulate gravity on the moon with out some sort of a gravitational rotation. Whats your opinion?

I agree that we start with the moon. Plus the reasons you give, if our "base" gets into trouble we'd have a better chance of a rescue operation. The moon is 3 days away, mars months. If we are going to live in space, the moon would be a great place to start. IMO.

[edit on 30-8-2004 by Der Kapitan]

I see what you mean about rescue missions to mars, and how they would take months to get there. Its just like the movie Mission to Mars when Luke gets marooned on mars for a year, thats how long it took them to rescue him.

I also agree about starting something on the Moon first, then once we have perfected living in off world conditions. Take the big step and start something on Mars.

The low gravity would be a bit of an issue. You'd just have to have crew rotations every so often. How long are the crew rotations on the ISS? You could probably get away with having people stay on the Moon for longer then the people on the ISS since there is some gravity on the Moon.

The Moon sure would be a great place to build future rockets/space ships. You could build bigger and heavier ships since you wouldn't have to deal with as much gravity or any friction through the atmosphere since there is none on the Moon.

I think there is a seven month rotation between astronauts in the ISS.

Spread the word of this post.

Flaws Flaws Flaws

How would it be eisier to build spacecraft on the moon? No atmosphere and 1/6 gravity, THATS IT! We would have to pre manufacture everything on earth and then use a rocket and launch it up there so they can build it and launch it into space, Ummmmmmm hows that eisier?

I'm glad were gonna go back to the moon, but were not gonna build warehouses and everything, you have no idea of how big of an infastructure you would need to do that.

A Russian astronaut has a record of over 2 years in space and he's fine. long as you work out while on board the ISS or the moon you wont loose much bone and muscle loss. Nasa has never had a astronaut in space for over 1 year, just to play it safe (and keep there astronauts from going insane).

Yeah it would be a massive infrastructure, but in the long run it would save lots or time and possibly money to set up mining operations and facotories etc. It obviously won't happen over night, but you got to start some time if you want to industrialize the Moon for space ship production and whatever else.

When we go back to the Moon "soon". We arn't going to start building stuff on it right away obviously. I'm just thinking of long term goals.

Well your goals will never happen.

I would like to see scientific buildings on the moon, but not to colonize it.

I would rather see us colonize mars and change the atmosphere (terraform) more to our liking. with oxgen and then warm it up, just like were doing on our planet, so then it will be livable. Thats the ultimate long term gaol, but if we start on that now we might have it accomplished in just a couple hundred years.

There are ways of colonizing it, and i agree with the idea. Mars is too far, the moon is pretty close to Earth. It would be eisier to get there and back, and they shoudl wait and develop better technology to get to mars faster, while colonizing the moon.

Never say never. None of us will know what will happen in the future. But I also agree about building scientific bases. I'd love to see a big observatory built on the far side of the Moon.

From my understanding about Mars. With the lack of a magnetic field, any life on the surface would die and parts/most of the atmosphere would be blown away by solar winds. So I think it would take a lot more work (if even possible) to make Mars breathable. That's what i've heard anyway.

Im not saying we shouldn't colonize mars, it would ne a dream to be part of it, but on the moon we could build and manufacture much equipment. This could probably make colonizing mars much much easier. Anyone on this site an astronaut, if so i'd like a professional opinion, and if anyone knows and astronaut on this site pleases let them know. Thank you in advance.

Definitely first to moon and only after that to Mars.
Moon's surface material also has lot of metals.
Also as have been said it's magnitude closer to Earth if something goes wrong.


aerospacescholars.jsc.nasa.gov...

yeah screw mars lets develop the moon first and then do mars. It would be good to see a UN space command or something like that be responsible for this mission where the organization takes 1% of every nations GDP for the program. This way the moon truly belongs to the people of earth and not to any nation or a few nations.

thanks,
drfunk

1% that a freakin lot.
Plus America has the lead, so i dont know if they would allow them selves to be on par with china.

Moon can't be colonized. Everytime it gets struck by a meteor, the whole planet has trimors.

How often does a asteroid or space debris impact the moon?

If the moon was said to have broken of the earth when earth was taking shape, wouldn't the earth have an atmosphere of some sort.

I'm assuming you ment to say, "...wouldn't the Moon have an atmosphere of some sort."? And no it wouldn't, it's too small to have one.

Sorry, I ment moon. And have we ever expolored the dark side of the moon with sattelites. That side never shows itself to Earth.