Lunar News Network

Apollo 11 Anniversary

As the anniversary of the moon landing approaches, I recommend Space.Com's coverage in which they ponder THE MOON: Then, Now, Next:

Forty years after Apollo 11 astronauts first set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969, SPACE.com examines what we've done since and whether America has the right stuff to get back to the moon by 2020 and reach beyond. In a series of never-before-seen video and interviews, you'll hear from the brave men who went and the people who shape the space industry today.

I like that the coverage is balanced between looking back at the amazing achievement of the lunar landings and looking forward to going back to the Moon and the future of the U.S. space program.

Top NASA Spinoffs

Wired News has a feature on the 10 Best NASA Spinoffs. I really like these reports that remind people how much we have received from the space program. It's been a great investment, but the public needs to be reminded of that.

NASA Fights Bone-Loss

Living in space is dangerous to your health. Bone loss is one of the many health threats that astronauts face and NASA is working on the problem (CNN - NASA bone-loss test sends man to bed for 84 days):

Doctors working with NASA scientists believe that they may have a way to combat one of the greatest health dangers of space travel: bone loss. "We know that bone loss in space is an extremely significant problem. Astronauts lose about 10 times more bone every month than a postmenopausal woman on Earth loses," says Dr. Peter Cavanagh, former director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Space Medicine. Bone loss occurs presumably because astronauts don't get enough load-bearing exercise in zero gravity. Cavanagh says that their findings may later contribute to new treatments for the millions of Americans who suffer from osteoporosis.

I wanted to highlight the above text because it underscores the civilian and commercial benefits of this line of research. NASA will probably solve the bone loss problem with a combination of exercise regimens and drug treatments that help the body maintain strong bones. Longer-term treatments may focus on genetic manipulation to enhance how the body absorbs and stores calcium in bones. All of these treatments will have spin-offs that will benefit society at large.

Moon Miners

I have highlighted the debate about why we should return to the Moon using the "Pro-Con" category tag and you can browse through past entries to review the many reasons why we should support the space program and the return to the Moon. One of the best specific and materialistic reasons to set up a base on the Moon is to mine helium-3. This reason for going is the subject of a news report this week (Yahoo News - How Lunar Soil Could Power the Future):

The moon is once again a popular destination, as several space-faring nations are talking about setting up bases there. One reason would be to mine fuel for future fusion reactors. The fuel in this case is helium-3, a lighter isotope of the helium used in balloons. In high energy collisions, helium-3 fuses with other nuclei to release more energy and less waste than the reactions in traditional nuclear reactors. "If we can show that we can burn helium-3, it is a much cleaner and safer energy source than other nuclear fuels," said Gerald Kulcinski, director of the Fusion Technology Institute at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Imagine that, the Moon as a clean energy resource. If we can get green activists behind this plan imagine the support and political momentum this would create.

Reasons for Space Exploration

What drives humans to pursue space exploration?  Jeff Foust reports (The Space Review - A skeptic's guide to space exploration) on  a recent speech by Neil deGrasse Tyson where the astrophysicist took on that question, as well as some widely-held beliefs of space advocates. I appreciated that he had some good advice on how to convince Congress to continue to support space exploration, but his advice leaves me a bit pessimistic about the prospects of continued long-term funding for the Moon-Mars program.

Why Go To The Moon?

Ken Murphy (from Out of the Cradle) gives us 25 reasons to go to the Moon. His reasons range from the very practical to the sublimely spiritual, hopefully you will find one persuasive, I like #25. HT: Colony Worlds

Supporting Space

This (Baltimore Sun - Inspiring defense of reach for space) is an example of a letter to the editor that defends space exploration. I wonder how many of us take the time to send in a quick letter of praise and support when our local newspaper gives space issues the coverage they deserve? Thank you Jeff Brooks of Austin, Texas, for taking the time.

Go To Mars, Skip The Moon?

This Wired News report (Americans Find Out NASA Is Going Back to the Moon) offers an answer to the question about why we should go to the Moon first instead of going direclty to Mars:

It's a good idea to go to the moon to not only check out all systems and hardware, but more importantly (and more transferably) to design surface-operations protocols, to work out kinks and most importantly for a new generation of space explorers -- to build up experience before the more-challenging Mars expeditions.

Going to Mars will always be dangerous, but if we use the Moon as a practice run we can improve our chances of success on Mars.

NASA Spin-Offs

The Political Action For Space blog notes a new feature on the NASA website which highlights all the spin-off benefits that we have earned over the years by funding NASA. So, the next time someone asks what we get out of funding space exploration, you will have a ready answer.

Defending Space Exploration

Over at the Freakonomics Blog, Steven J. Dubner asks group of space authorities: Is space exploration worth the cost? G. Scott Hubbard, Joan Vernikos, Kathleen M. Connell, Keith Cowing, and David M. Livingston, and John M. Logsdon contribute their views on the value of space exploration.

More Reasons To Go

Ever since NASA unveiled its plans for establishing a permanent base on the Moon, people have argued about which rationales are compelling enough to justify the enormous risk and expense involved in such a venture.  Robert Shapiro argues (The Space Review - Why the Moon? Human survival!) that the best reason may be simply to insure the future of the human race.

Space Resources

In the 1970s many believed that space was the answer to the expected impending shortage of energy and other resources, a belief that was discredited by declines in resource prices in the decades that followed. Now, says Nader Elhefnawy (The Space Review - The limits to growth and the turn to the heavens), it may be time to revisit those earlier claims.

More Reasons To Go

NASA's plans for a lunar base have prompted people to ask, "Why the Moon?" Michael Huang suggests (The Space Review - Humans for humans' sake) a few reasons to put on the list.

Explaining Moonbase

Last week NASA announced its plans to establish a permanent human base on the Moon. Jeff Foust argues (The Space Review - Moonbase why) that, if those plans have any chance of becoming reality, NASA needs to focus less on how and where to build that base and more on why humans should go to the Moon at all.

Lunar Observatories

Hosting an observatory is but one of the many possible missions for a lunar base. Space.com reports (Lunar Observatories: Grand Plans vs. Clear Problems) that, "Astronomers are split over the merits of lunar-based observatories compared with those in free space like the Hubble Space Telescope."