Moon-Base Architects Plan 1st Step in Exploring the Cosmos

Space enthusiasts have long awaited the construction of a habitable lunar base. Many believe that once humans are living on a celestial body other than planet Earth, a symbolic door will open up that will eventually lead to incredible possibilities for the future of humankind.

Astronaut Andy Thomas, head of NASA’s Lunar Architecture Team, shared his insights in an interview with The Daily Galaxy. His team is faced with the daunting task of designing a future lunar dwelling.

“It is a tough engineering problem, and will require a lot of creativity,” Thomas told The Daily Galaxy.

According to him, one the biggest challenges will involve “delivering all the systems (habitation elements, rovers, logistics etc.) and then making them all work together in the harsh vacuum environment of the moon.”

Even though the task is formidable, Thomas believes the benefit of a lunar base will be well worth it. From a scientific perspective, a lunar base would be a goldmine of valuable research opportunity.

“It will give us the infrastructure and base from which to undertake a systematic exploration of the lunar surface, and let us learn about another planetary body. In so doing, we will learn much about the early processes that guided the formation of the Earth since many signatures of those processes are preserved on the moon. It will also tell us how to go about other planetary explorations such as when that finally comes to pass.”

Speaking of Mars, Thomas says that a lunar base could facilitate an eventual Martian base.

“It will have a lot of direct applicability (e.g. how to build habitation shelters, how to outfit them, what kind of rover capability to have, etc.) We could possibly do without the lunar, but it will be a whole lot easier if we do the moon first. Plus we can evaluate the systems with a 3 or 4-day return capability to the Earth if something goes wrong. That is not possible on Mars.”

There is another reason for building a lunar base, which may be every bit as important. Many of today's top astrophysicists have stated that humankind needs to start thinking seriously about space colonization. Having a habitable base on the moon would be an important move in that direction. The Daily Galaxy asked Thomas if he thinks the solutions that the Lunar Architecture Team will have to develop, would help towards that goal.

“Ultimately, yes, but these are early days. We are as to space colonization and travel, as the Wright brothers were to travel in a 747. We have started, but there is much to do. The oceans of the cosmos and the universe are unimaginably vast, and we are only just stepping out on to the beach and getting our toes wet. There is a long way to go before we can properly sail those seas.”

Like other great explorers, Thomas believes there is a grand purpose in looking beyond our present horizons. He says there are many good reason why humankind should be open to space exploration and the eventual possibility of space colonization.

“It would be unthinkable not to do it. It would be like telling the great explorers of the past to stay at home and to not look over the next hill, or cross the next ocean. If we, as humanity, are to ever understand ourselves, how we came to be here, what is our place in the universe, and what our fate is, then we must undertake these explorations. I for one could not imagine a world where we did not ask those kinds of questions.”

Posted by Rebecca Sato