Synopsis:
Evidence suggests there may be deposits of ice within craters at the poles of the moon. If this proves to be the case, Planetary Scientist Dr. Paul Spudis says it could possibly be “the most valuable piece of real estate in the solar system.” Find out why.
Running time 6:16 minutes.
Critical Thinking:
Sometimes the best approach when working toward a goal is to focus, not on the actual situation you are facing, but on what might happen if you could change one or more aspects of that situation. This can help you concentrate your attention and resources on specific parts of the problem that, if solved, are most likely to open the doors to achieving your bigger objectives. This kind of critical thinking is sometimes referred to as “What if?”
Ask Questions
If your goal is the exploration and commercialization of space for the benefit of mankind, one of the first challenges you run into is the difficulty and expense of getting materials, equipment and people up out of the earth’s “gravity well.”
1. Why is it so difficult to move mass out of the earth’s gravity well?
2. What if there were a facility on the moon that could manufacture fuel and other resources from materials found there—how much fuel would be required to move mass up out of the moon’s gravity well?
3. How would the ability to produce rocket fuel on the moon impact the economics of space exploration and commercialization?
Attack the Problem
1. Why is it so difficult to move mass out of the earth’s gravity well?
Two of the biggest reasons are explained here
2. How much fuel would be required to move mass up out of the moon’s gravity well? – The gravitational pull on the surface of the moon is about one-sixth that on earth, but the effect of that is multiplied by the fact that the less fuel you need, the less fuel you have to carry, which means you need even less fuel to get off the ground. Additionally, air resistance is not a problem. So getting from the surface of the moon to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) takes about 1/20th of the fuel that is required to get from the surface of the earth to LEO:
3. How would the ability to produce rocket fuel on the moon impact the economics of space exploration and commercialization? – Here’s one example: If you want to go to Mars with fuel that is produced on Earth, you need enough fuel to get yourself into Low Earth Orbit, along with all of the fuel you would need to get from there to the surface of Mars, then lift off from Mars and return to Earth. But if there were a depot of moon-produced rocket-fuel waiting for you in Low Earth Orbit, you don’t have to lift any more fuel than it takes to get you there. The same reasoning applies to any other supplies you can bring from the moon, such as water and oxygen for breathing.
It seems pretty clear from this “What if?” train of thought that a lot depends on whether or not there is water in the moon in large quantities (from which fuel could be made). It’s not surprising, then, that NASA has made plans to investigate this question in the very near future.
Flash 7 or greater is required.
Download it.
