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From: ahughes@dg-rtp.dg.com (Arch Hughes)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: best of all worlds
Message-ID: <1029@dg.dg.com>
Date: 8 Oct 90 12:55:32 GMT
References: <10265.2708917a@pbs.org> <1017@dg.dg.com> <1990Oct5.163422.25830@zoo.toronto.edu>
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Reply-To: ahughes@dg-rtp.dg.com (Arch Hughes)
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In article <1990Oct5.163422.25830@zoo.toronto.edu>,
henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes:
|> In article <1017@dg.dg.com> ahughes@dg-rtp.dg.com (Arch Hughes)
writes:
|> >>we could design everything to work together giving us regular
access to the
|> >>moon.
|> >
|> >Of what value is regular access to the moon over a space
|> >station? ...
|> 
|> It depends on what you want to do.  If epxloring the Moon is your
priority,
|> then yes, regular access to the Moon is better. :-)  The Moon is also
a
|> better place to do materials-intensive operations, since lunar dirt
is
|> cheap once you're there, while shipping materials to a space station
is
|> very expensive.
|> 
|> >... If I want to set up a low gravity manufacturing
|> >or lab facility, does the moon's mass prohibit it as a
|> >satisfactory site (assuming a surface facility)?
|> 
|> Almost certainly, if really low gravity is what you want.  If access
to
|> vacuum and materials is more important, the gravity may be an asset,
|> since many industrial processes are a pain to do in free fall.
|> -- 
|> Imagine life with OS/360 the standard  | Henry Spencer at U of
Toronto Zoology
|> operating system.  Now think about X.  |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  
utzoo!henry


So the need for the "space taxi" for earth/moon transport
depends very much on what use is contemplated.  Are we engaged
in a program to harvest lunar dirt or to explore the last
crater on the dark side of our moon, or at this point are we
still on the steps of learning how to use the space
environment to our advantage?

I support a space station over a lunar base with exploration
(manned and unmanned) going in both directions from the earth
(to Mars and Venus).  Perhaps with more first hand information
on the composition of those 3 bodies (moon, mars, venus) a
more informed decision of where a future base might be
established could be made based on the materials needs of the
time.