The European Space Agency (ESA) not only wants to return to the moon, he wants to stay in it. The agency has announced its intention to build a permanent base on our natural satellite, the first ever lifted. The facility would be part of the global project of the International Space Station (ISS) and open to countries around the world who want to participate. The goal is that humanity can exploit the metals, minerals and ice water available on the moon. The European Astronaut Centre, based in the German city of Cologne, has already begun work on the ambitious project, which could take place in 20 years.
“My intention is to build a permanent base on Moon, open to different member states around the world station “, said Jan Wörner, director of ESA.” Were including Americans, Russians, Chinese, Indians, Japanese, and even other countries with lower contributions, “added.
the key message is to use the many resources available on satellite.” we have found ice at the lunar poles, and constantly exposed to daylight areas. These places can offer us the resources we need to build and sustain astronauts on the lunar base, “explains Bernard Foing, director of the International Group of Lunar Exploration.
the main threats to any lunar base are solar radiation and cosmic, micrometeorites and extreme temperatures. But the Irish scientist Cowley Aidan proposes to use the lunar soil itself to build radomes: “One of the ideas we came up with was that we could use this material in three dimensions to build a structure or habitable lunar module; and we believe it can be done, it is possible. Our concept is that a robot vehicle to land on the surface of the moon, and inflate a kind of inflatable dome as a basis to build the protective layer that will protect astronauts inside safely. “
“that is, a layer of dust, then a seal is placed, we will add another layer of powder on top and repeat the same operation until you have built any structure we want”, explains Cowley. Scientists look for places with rocks and similar dust to the lunar surface, such as volcanic park Eifel, near Cologne, to simulate lunar conditions.
Humanity has never been permanently on the moon, but the project leaders believe it is perfectly feasible and remember the Apollo missions, which showed in their time, with enough commitment, it is possible to take a giant step. “What we did in the sixties within ten years. So today with a much more developed technology, we are more than ready to get it back, “says Andreas Mogensen, ESA astronaut.
Just do not happen tomorrow. ESA recognizes that still need 20 years at least until the technology is ready to make this possible. “This is a great development cycle that has to restart again from the rockets that will lead to the orbit until the spacecraft carrying astronauts to the moon and help them land. And then, of course, the bases that remain on the moon. All this technology block must be put in place “Morgensen said.
The Chinese plan a mission to collect samples from the moon. Russia, meanwhile, is developing a robotic lander with the support of ESA, and the Orion capsule NASA should be flying around the moon before 2020.
In search of life Mars
Without having to wait that long, this March the ExoMars mission will be launched to the red Planet for signs of methane. On board will take an instrument called NOMAD to analyze the composition of the Martian atmosphere, and methane in particular. “Methane is important because Earth has been linked to biological processes. There is not enough tangible evidence to be able to say whether there has been life on Mars, “explains Anne Carine Vandaele, one of the scientists responsible for the project.
Various instruments from different missions have measured and methane on Mars but there are still many questions unresolved in these measurements. ExoMars will try to clarify once and for all the problem of methane by using specific instruments for this gas
Source:. Abc.es
YR / report21
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