Lunar Living: 2015, 2025, 2035?

fryke

fryke

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So, the USA will land some people on the moon in 2018. Both Russians and Chinese want to return to the moon earlier, though, and they're all talking about some or other lunar station that might be a step to flying to Mars.

I could care less about Mars, but what do you guys think: Will I rent an apartment on some lunar station, sit in a chair, looking at Earth with an Apple PowerBook on my lap by, say, 2025? In that year, I'll turn 51, so I guess I'd still be "good to go". Might even have some money by then. In 2035 I'd be 61, certainly a good age to retire to the moon for the rest of my days. (Low gravity will help my various aching muscles...) ;)

Or will life in space - despite some efforts to make it a commercial adventure, too - stay in the hands of _very_ few people for the rest of my life?

Because: I truly hope that I can some day take my eMate 300 to the moon and bury it somewhere, so that future generations might find it and wonder about timelines or something. :p
 
I would think sooner rather than later; certain companies are gearing up for making a real commercial venture out of space, and real industry too, not just tourism. They'll need stations on the moon to base all that stuff on; much cheaper than launching everything they'll need from the earth. I think you have a pretty good chance of realizing your dream. (Maybe we'll see each other up there.)

Umm...what's an eMate?
 
I doubt any of us will see any kind of "terrestrialization" by humans of the moon or Mars in our lifetimes. Sure, we'll visit and set in motion some plans and constructions that will eventually lead to our being able to live for an extended period outside of Earth, but technology such as this is still in it's infancy.

My reasoning is that I still don't have a flying car. It's the year 2005 -- where the hell is my flying car?! We don't even have flying skateboards yet.

On a side note, I once heard a story of a farmer who never believed that man set foot on the moon -- it was all a big conspiracy. His reasoning was that NASA claimed that they transmitted communications back and forth from the moon on 1/2 watt of power, and he still couldn't get good TV reception on his farm even with 50,000 watt TV towers.

Sounds like some good evidence to me.
 
ElDiabloConCaca said:
My reasoning is that I still don't have a flying car. It's the year 2005 -- where the hell is my flying car?!
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Someone did manage to do a flying car...a half helicopter/half car contraption. I think the problem isn't so much technology as it is drive/pilot skill. The majority of people have a hard enough time keeping their 5' to 6' wide cars in an 8' to 12' wide road lane which is clearly designated (bright white/yellow lines and reflectors)...do you really want to see them flying around in "air lanes" (no real visuals to go by)? I firmly believe the moment they release those kind of things is the moment I will buy an old nuclear missile silo to convert into a home.

ElDiabloConCaca said:
We don't even have flying skateboards yet.
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Uh...Tony Hawk? (He's just too afraid to fly for any distance...don't blame him a bit either...those skateboards aren't too stable.) :D

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On a side note...I haven't seen Back to the Future (I, II, or III) in ages...might have to use up those free rentals I have after all.

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Not sure I'd want to live on the moon myself...too claustrophobic for me. I'd go nuts not being able to jump in the car and head for the countryside for a nice drive, hike, climb, or camping trip.

Might be a neat place for a vacation though.
 
There are _some_ ideas, like flying cars, that probably just don't make real sense for the mass market. I mean: 'Normal' car traffic is a rather big problem for most cities, and if you add some flying objects, that doesn't get exactly more comfortable. (I don't really want some 18-year old kid fly by my living room window in the second floor and another crashing into the same window a couple of seconds later...) ;)

mbveau: The eMate was based on Newton technology. Basically, it was a small laptop with PDA internals, aimed at schools (but too cool for me _not_ to get one...): http://www.apple-history.com/?page=gallery&model=emate&performa=off&sort=date&order=ASC ...
 
ElDiabloConCaca said:
On a side note, I once heard a story of a farmer who never believed that man set foot on the moon -- it was all a big conspiracy. His reasoning was that NASA claimed that they transmitted communications back and forth from the moon on 1/2 watt of power, and he still couldn't get good TV reception on his farm even with 50,000 watt TV towers.

Sounds like some good evidence to me.
Click to expand...

You can hardly see a 60W light bulb from some distance in daylight, but a 1W laser diode would burn through an eye instantly.
 
The Apple I cost 666.66 USD, the Mac mini can now be had for 499 USD. You're right! It's incredible! ;)
 
Science is thrusting humanity forward. However it is not certain that humanity will survive long enough. So I want to be one of the first Marsians (if I'm stillalive when people land there). I promise to wave you when I get there.
 
Lunar living likely will not happen in our lifetime, our childrens' lifetimes, or our grandchildrens' lifetimes...because of several factors: energy is becomming extremely expensive, the greater divide in human society of the haves and have-nots (again, educational, material, and energy resource misallocation), the Moon's surface is geologically inactive meaning that there is no atmosphere to mold the landscape or to protect the surface from meteor and asteroid impacts.

The Space Shuttle has in the past sustained damage from micro meteors (grains of sand traveling at high velocity). Judging by the size of the craters on the Moon's surface, some of those impacts look to be the result of small rocks and boulders to large boulders. These would instantly destroy and kill anyone inside of a delicately assembled tin-can Lunar base. If a Moon base were to be succussfully constructed and be inhabited long-term, then it would have to be build deep under the surface with multiple entrances and exits. So, I don't see a permanent Moon base being built anytime soon. The energy issues for the next several decades to couple of hundred years must be resolved first before such an undertaking can be put into motion.

Do a Google search for images of the far side of the Moon. What you see will astound you. The craters look bad, very bad, and indicate that the Moon has been in that rotational configuration for a very long time, sustaining a lot of impacts since that side always faces away from Earth. The side that is leading into the lunar orbit sustained the most impacts. Eventhough it would be nice to sit on the Moon and look down on Earth, it's not going to happen in the next 100 years for the general population.
 
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