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Colonizing Luna, Part 6: Manufacturing & Mass-Driver

MANUFACTURING Originally written: August 3, 2005. Previous | Overview | Next Bulk manufacturing on Luna will need to be done by automated or remote-controlled machines. Humans-in-spacesuits is too costly, as are pressurized, breathable environments. To control for temperature and dust, factories probably should also be enclosed, so again, the geodesic dome design is easiest for […]

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Colonizing Luna, Part 4: Mining

MINING Originally written: 8 August 2005. Previous | Overview | Next Mainly this will include electric-powered, remote-controlled diggers and conveyor trucks or belts. The first target for mining is to grade a level path for the maglev launcher track. This means that the mined material will not be specific; it will be generic Lunar soil,

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Colonizing Luna, part 3: Energy

ENERGY COLLECTION, GENERATION, STORAGE Originally written: 8 August 2005. Previous | Overview | Next Initial: Earth-built photovoltaic panels, batteries, fuel-cell/electrolysis pairs. Secondary: Luna-built photovoltaic arrays, parabolic solar ovens for manufacturing, possibly thermoelectric. Massive, solar-powered?compulsators; alternators capable of delivering massive pulses of electricity. PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAYS At present the most efficient photovoltaic cells are still p/n-doped monocrystalline

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Colonizing Luna, Part 2: Gravitats

GRAVITY-HABITAT; the ‘GRAVITAT’ Originally written: 8 August 2005. Previous | Overview | Next Luna’s gravity is too low for humans to maintain long-term health. Therefore, like long-term residents of microgravity environments, lunar settlers will need to live in ‘gravitats’ where gravity is simulated by spin (centripetal acceleration). The good news is that the design requirements

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Colonizing Luna: Overview

Next Steps in Using Near-Earth Space and Luna First written: August 3, 2005 This is the fist in a set of conceptual essays to design a permanent, self-supporting, productive Lunar base. As I thought it through, I have been realizing that the whole zone from low-earth orbit (LEO) out past the moon is crucial to

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