Living on the Moon will be difficult for humans. Several problems exist for survival on the lunar surface. Basically, no atmosphere is present on the Moon. Temperature extremes are difficult to work in for both humans and machines. There is a two week daytime and a two week nighttime. And finally, the water that is on the Moon is in the form of ice and it is only in a few craters at the poles. Robots could help solve some of these problems.
Illustration of a Moon Base – NASA Illustration
NASA currently has a new project that they have funded to send robots to the moon. The idea is to provide sunlight to the Shackleton Crater.
NASA wants to turn the moon into a lunar science lab: Fleet of robots could terraform Shackleton Crater
Currently, the plan is to have the robots use reflectors to redirect sunlight into the bottom of the crater, which is located at the lunar South Pole. What would result from this is a warm environment for other robots to work in at the depths of the crater.
What makes Shackleton Crater such an attractive location for this large terraforming project is its massive size (roughly 130 square miles), as well as the fact it’s entirely flanked by peaks measuring some 14,000 feet in height.
Digital Trends: http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/nasa-is-considering-terraforming-the-moon-with-autonomous-robots/#ixzz3gRRHD5Do
The first robots to arrive for this project would be “transformer type” machines that would unfold into a giant reflective mirror to redirect sunlight into the crater. Following those robots would be scientific and exploration bots whose job it would be to sample and process materials from the depths of the crater.
According to Adrian Stoica of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, “The TransFormer (TF) concept is a paradigm shift to operating in Extreme Environments (EE). TFs are systems that direct energy into energy-depleted (extreme) environments, transforming them, locally, around robots or humans, into mild micro-environments.”
Science Alert: NASA is investigating the possibility of terraforming the Moon. With Robots.
Shackleton crater is thought to hold a valuable resource of water ice. Tapping into this frozen treasure will provide both liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen in addition to liquid water. All of these products are essential for further exploration in the solar system. In the future, what happens is, this lunar crater becomes an interplanetary gas station for the exploration of the solar system.
Shackelton Crater Photo Credit: NASA LRO
So what are your thoughts regarding this project? Although this project is only in the very early prototype stages, it is nonetheless an intriguing idea. Robots have always been the pioneers in space exploration blazing the trail for human explorers to follow. And that will certainly be the case here. I look forward to a conversation about this proposal.
Sources:
Digital Trends: http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/nasa-is-considering-terraforming-the-moon-with-autonomous-robots/#ixzz3gRRHD5Do
Science Alert: NASA is investigating the possibility of terraforming the Moon. With Robots.
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