lunar contradictions...

[server]

On Thu, 10 Aug 2023 07:28:03 -0700 (PDT), Anthony William Sloman
<bill.sloman@ieee.org> wrote:

<powering lunar colonies>

Alternatively use some nuclear power plants close to the colonies.

Launching the nuclear power plants from earth on rockets isn\'t going to be all that popular.

Active the reactor after it has been installed on the moon. Before
that the reactor is clean and the uranium isotopes have long half life
(i.e. very low radiation). A launch failure would be quite harmless.

However they launch RTGs that are very radioactive during launch and
decay in a few decades.

A launch failure would be quite severe. Apollo 13 ?

 

[server]

On Wed, 9 Aug 2023 10:56:56 +0100, Martin Brown
<\'\'\'newspam\'\'\'@nonad.co.uk> wrote:

>On 08/08/2023 15:47, Anthony William Sloman wrote:

<snip>

The hovels on the surface would house airlocks and short term transit accommodation.

I think you have that wrong. Most of the nice stuff will be near the
surface where it can get sunlight. It will still be tricky growing
plants since you need insanely big batteries for the 14 day lunar night!

The lunar night is not completely dark on the visible side of the
moon.

During New Moon there is the \"Full Earth\" shining in the sky.

As seen from the Moon, the diameter is 3.7 times compared to Moon
diameter as seen From the Earth, thus the reflecting area is nearly 14
times. The Earth\'s albedo is at least 2 times compared to the Moon.
Thus the illumination level would be about 30 times of full moon on
Earth.

Since the Moon stays (nearly) on the same place on the lunar sky, you
could have passive reflectors concentrating earthlight into a
greenhouse.

Since plants would need protection against intense solar radiation
during the day, some blinds could be used that could be turned around
to concentrate some earthlight on plants during the night.

 

[whit3rd]

On Friday, August 11, 2023 at 10:13:38 PM UTC-7, upsid...@downunder..com wrote:

On Wed, 9 Aug 2023 10:56:56 +0100, Martin Brown
\'\'\'newspam\'\'\'@nonad.co.uk> wrote:

On 08/08/2023 15:47, Anthony William Sloman wrote:
snip
The hovels on the surface would house airlocks and short term transit accommodation.

I think you have that wrong. Most of the nice stuff will be near the
surface where it can get sunlight. It will still be tricky growing
plants since you need insanely big batteries for the 14 day lunar night!
The lunar night is not completely dark on the visible side of the
moon.

During New Moon there is the \"Full Earth\" shining in the sky.

As seen from the Moon, the diameter is 3.7 times compared to Moon
diameter as seen From the Earth, thus the reflecting area is nearly 14
times. The Earth\'s albedo is at least 2 times compared to the Moon.
Thus the illumination level would be about 30 times of full moon on
Earth.

That\'s when the Earth is full; the moon also gets farther from the Sun than
Earth in half its orbit, so it sees the night side of our planet just as often;
the darkness won\'t be full, but still has that periodic dark/light cycle
and the associated battery requirement.

 

[whit3rd]

On Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 12:34:44 PM UTC-7, whit3rd wrote:

On Friday, August 11, 2023 at 10:13:38 PM UTC-7, upsid...@downunder.com wrote:
On Wed, 9 Aug 2023 10:56:56 +0100, Martin Brown
\'\'\'newspam\'\'\'@nonad.co.uk> wrote:

On 08/08/2023 15:47, Anthony William Sloman wrote:
snip
The hovels on the surface would house airlocks and short term transit accommodation.

I think you have that wrong. Most of the nice stuff will be near the
surface where it can get sunlight. It will still be tricky growing
plants since you need insanely big batteries for the 14 day lunar night!
The lunar night is not completely dark on the visible side of the
moon.

During New Moon there is the \"Full Earth\" shining in the sky.

As seen from the Moon, the diameter is 3.7 times compared to Moon
diameter as seen From the Earth, thus the reflecting area is nearly 14
times. The Earth\'s albedo is at least 2 times compared to the Moon.
Thus the illumination level would be about 30 times of full moon on
Earth.
That\'s when the Earth is full; the moon also gets farther from the Sun than
Earth in half its orbit, so it sees the night side of our planet just as often;
the darkness won\'t be full, but still has that periodic dark/light cycle
and the associated battery requirement.

.... but not so much, because when the Earth seems darkest, your side of
Luna is facing Mister Sun himself.