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From: REM@IMSSS (Robert Elton Maas, this host known locally only)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: loncrete
Message-ID: <8602020836.AA05420@s1-b.arpa>
Date: Sun, 2-Feb-86 03:37:11 EST
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Posted: Sun Feb  2 03:37:11 1986
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HPM> Date: 25 Jan 86 20:21:18 EST
HPM> From: Hans.Moravec@rover.ri.cmu.edu
HPM> Subject: lunarcrete
HPM> ...
HPM>     The 40 grams of dirt will be delivered next week to his lab at
HPM> Construction Technology Laboratories in Skokie, said Lin. It was dug
HPM> up during the Apollo 16 mission in 1972.
HPM> ...
HPM>     Stan Sadin, a deputy director in NASA's office of aeronautics and
HPM> space technology in Washington, confirmed today that Lin's research
HPM> could lead to the establishment of a lunar concrete factory and
HPM> ''putting an outpost ... in the spirit of an Antarctic outpost'' on
HPM> the moon.

Horay!

HPM> But he said that probably wouldn't happen until after the year 2000.

Boo! The Russians sent robot landers to the Moon before Apollo 11.
Surely by now both nations are capable (modulo loss of Challanger and
consequent delay in all launches, and lack of oldstyle boosters except
some the military have and are building) of sending robot landers
which could start building an experimental remote-control
concrete-processing station as soon as Lin (no relation to our LIN I
presume) gets the procedure worked out on Earth. So, except for
funding and launch vehicles, why can't we start by 1988 instead of
waiting until men can land on Moon after 2000?

HPM>    Lin said his research could save NASA millions of dollars because
HPM> ''it will be much cheaper'' to make concrete on the moon than to
HPM> transport it from Earth.

You bet your tooting! Concrete is heavy stuff in the quantities
typically used to build habitat and factories. (On the other hand,
they make boats out of concrete sometimes.)

HPM>    For the past eight months, Lin, 52, has made concrete with simulated
HPM> lunar dirt that is twice as strong as the earthly stuff.

Hey, that's pretty damn good! Maybe they can make some on Moon for
Earth use, just put in a big bubble and float it down to Earth, just
like my earlier proposal for foam-steel containing hydrogen etc.?