5 reasons to forget about Mars and return to the moon

5 reasons to forget about Mars and return to the moon

The plans for the Martian colonization are based on the premise that we can terraform the Red Planet, making it suitable for life with a breathable atmosphere and a comfortable temperature regime. But a recent study calls into question the idea of ​​using modern technology.

While the colonization of Mars is suspended, we should think about our nearest space neighbor, the Moon. The first successful landing on the satellite surface was performed by the Russian Luna-9 spacecraft in 1966. This mission was the first to demonstrate a barren lunar landscape.

5 reasons to forget about Mars and return to the moon

The first large-scale images of the lunar surface, obtained in 1966

From the start of the space age, more than 60 successful missions, including 8 crews, were sent to the moon. The most famous was the flight of Apollo 11 in July 1969, when a man made the first step on the lunar surface. These cosmic pioneers have expanded our understanding of the Earth and the Universe. For example, the Apollo 15 mission in 1971 resumed the discovery of a giant crater, confirming a massive blow to the Earth about 4.5 billion years ago.

But since then, our scientific interest has shifted to Mars. In the 1990s. after a series of failed launches, Mars Pathfinder first landed on the surface. The images obtained by the probe stirred up the public and increased interest in the Red Planet.

5 reasons to forget about Mars and return to the moon

Genesis Rock was formed 4 billion years ago during the formation of the Solar System

But instead of mourning the unfulfilled Martian ideas, you should focus on 5 reasons why the Moon deserves more attention.

Intermediate space parking

To overcome the force of gravity and get closer to another cosmic body, it is necessary to pick up a certain speed. Traveling to Mars from Earth’s surface requires a minimum speed of 13.1 km / s. Therefore, we cannot do without dimensional missiles and complex orbital maneuvering. But the weaker gravitational field of the moon needs a speed of only 2.9 km / s.

The moon also has a wealth of mineral resources, including valuable metals and components of rocket fuel, formed by the destruction of water ice into hydrogen fuel and oxidize. Mineral troilite (rare for the Earth iron-sulfur compound) is also located in the lunar crust. You can extract sulfur from troilite and combine with the lunar soil to create a building material that exceeds the cement in power. That is, it will turn out to create space for astronauts on the satellite based on local resources.

Looking to the future

Nuclear fusion (star feeding process) can guarantee our future energy savings. The next generation of reactors will use helium-3 (a lighter version of helium). This isotope is rare on Earth, but it is abundant on the Moon. An initial surge of commercial interest could stimulate funding for first flights, in order to then establish the permanent presence of humanity on the satellite.

5 reasons to forget about Mars and return to the moon

Thermonuclear reactor bark

Centuries-old rock

The moon is an inactive world, since over the past 3 billion years there have been no serious geological changes. On Earth, surface characteristics are transformed by rain, tides, winds and vegetation growth. The lunar landscape proudly displays a violent past in the form of percussion marks, providing a preserved history of the solar system awaiting its explorers.

Observation of the Universe

The lunar atmosphere is too thin (10 trillion less than Earth's). Due to this, ideal conditions are formed for the installation of astronomical observatories across the entire width of the electromagnetic spectrum. The radio observatory on the far side of the moon will be under complete protection from the terrestrial radio chatter.

The low-density atmosphere also allows the use of X-ray and gamma telescopes, which is not permissible on Earth, where short-wave cosmic light is blocked. Such observatories can be maintained and updated by human presence, which is not the case with the space telescope.

5 reasons to forget about Mars and return to the moon

The lunar observatory could peer deeper into space than it does on Earth

Humanity in space

The main obstacle to the colonization of Mars is the lack of a clear understanding of how the long-term stay in space will affect the human body. If something unexpected happens, it will take more than two years to wait for help. But checking the functioning of the human body on the moon seems to be a more practical project. And if an emergency happens, the trip to the satellite from the Earth will take 3 days. In addition, there is a fear of infecting Mars with terrestrial microbes, which will spoil the search for the original forms of life. The moon is barren, so does not face such a problem.

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