Show Stoppers
This article is a topic of debate. |
Show Stoppers
Major problems that can stop our whole effort
Show Stoppers are problems for which we currently have no solutions, yet we cannot do some major part of our mission until these very problems are solved.
Often there will be a long list of pros and cons around a technical idea, yet one small, insignificant problem will block all progress. All the other problems then become nothing but smoke and red herrings. Spotting and solving Show Stoppers is one of the great skills for a technical person that approaches being a Zen master.
The following Show Stoppers are blocking our way to the Moon. Can you come up with viable solutions?
The Interest of the American Public is Missing
The American people are not showing any interest in returning to the Moon.
What is at risk:
The entire program is at risk of being dropped, again. Funding will dry up completely.
Technical Details of the Problem:
The idea of returning to the Moon was put forward by President George W. Bush, but did not catch on. It was subsequently driven from the public stage by the War in Iraq and Global Climate Change. Funding for NASA has been cut.
We will need to keep the return to the Moon idea alive even while moving substantial amounts of our space resources are moved back to Earth science to develop the data needed to understand and address the Global Climate Change problem.
Available Actions:
On Lunarpedia the Purposes List provides a wide selection of ideas on possible action. Some look at what needs to be done and some look at how to do it.
The most important idea is to assist the American public to build a powerful vision of success around returning to the Moon. Once that vision is in place, actions will follow.
Afternoon Temperatures at the Equator
The afternoon surface temperatures at the Lunar Equator are so high that it is very difficult to maintain human life support and protect critical equipment.
What is at risk:
No lunar site near the Equator can be visited for more than a few days until this problem is addressed. A permanent settlement in any of these promising locations is currently impossible. This, and only this, has driven us to the poles.
Technical Details of the Problem:
Maintaining living space temperatures for the crew is one of the most important parts of a life support system. Also designing equipment, such as your return vehicle, to withstand high temperatures for long periods of time is difficult and expensive. High surface temperatures create a significant risk to both crew and mission.
In space the only way to dump waste heat is to radiate it to deep space. Specialized thermal radiator panels are used and must have a wide view of space. If these panels also see an expanse of hot lunar surface, they will work very poorly.
The temperature of lunar surface in the afternoon at the Equator can be above 100 C for more than 100 hours. Some key temperatures include:
| On the Earth: | Celsius | Kelvin | Fahrenheit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Body | 37 C | 310 K | 98.6 F |
| Room Temperature | 22 C | 295 K | 72 F |
| Hot living limit on Earth | 50 C | 322 K | 120 F |
| Boil an egg | 100 C | 373 K | 212 F |
| Afternoon on the Moon at the Equator: | |||
| Mean | 107 C | 380 K | 225 F |
| Maximum | 127 C | 400 K | 260 F |
| Daytime on the Moon at the Poles: | |||
| Mean | 0 C | 272 K | 32 F |
Very little equipment can stand being soaked at these hight temperatures for this long. Normal space suits would keep you alive only a limited time. Your return spacecraft could become unusable. At present this is seen as an unacceptable risk.
Available Actions:
This is the primary reason that sites for the first lunar station are only being considered at the poles. This one problem trumps everything else.
Life support could be maintained with a complex double cycle refrigeration system. These systems are complex and require significant mass shipped from Earth. The reliability of these systems is also under question.
Some form of umbrella or tent is possible for outside equipment, such as your return spacecraft. Again this brings up safety issues.
In the long run a number of actions are possible:
- A polar base could provide an relatively easy to reach safe heaven in emergencies.
- Living space can be covered with Lunar Regolith as described in Architecture as Mole Hills. This both stabilizes the temperature and provides radiation protection.
- Partially buried hangers for outside equipment and robots are also possible.
If you favor an equatorial site for the first lunar settlement, solve this problem.
