By: John Crossen
The European Space Agency (ESA) has a new President, Johan-Dietrich Wörner. At the 31st National Space Symposium, Wörner put forth his vision of a lunar colony on the far side of our celestial dance partner. Neither the Moon colony nor having it on the far side of the Moon is a new idea. But they do make sense.
LUNAR FAR SIDE
Welcome to the far side of the Moon. You’ll notice that it is more crater-pocked than the side facing us. Building a Moon colony here might involve mining lunar regolith (a sand-like material) that covers the Moon’s surface. It could be used to mould building blocks for lunar structures.
Photo Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University
Building a radio telescope on the Moon’s far side would help telescope reception greatly because it would be free of the interfering “chatter” it would pick up from Earth-based sources were it on the Earth-facing side.
So we can score one for the fact that the Moon doesn’t appear to rotate because it is gravitationally locked in position by planet Earth. On the other hand communications with Earth would have to be beamed from a satellite orbiting the Moon or an antenna set up on the near side of dear old Luna.
Questions or comments? Contact John at johnstargazer@nexicom.net .
Further info: Europe’s Next Space Chief Wants a Moon Colony on the Lunar Far Side – Lenord David, Space.com
