Subject Matter Expert:
John Connolly and Chuck Lloyd
Mankind has worshipped and studied the moon for centuries.
Early Aztecs built a pyramid in Mexico for their moon “god/goddess.”
Today, people still speak of “the man in the moon.” From
Earth, people’s imaginations hoped for life on the moon,
even thinking that there were “seas” or “maria” on the moon’s
surface.
Racing to the moon initially drove space exploration
during the 1960s and early 1970s. Between July 20, 1969 and
December 14, 1972, twelve Apollo astronauts walked on the
moon. Their total time on the moon equals slightly more than
3 days (80 hours, 32 minutes, 26 seconds.)
Few of us will forget Neil Armstrong, the first person to
walk on the moon, and his now famous words, “That’s one small
step for man; one giant leap for mankind.” But do you remember
the most recent person to walk on the moon? Eugene Cernan
took the last moonwalk of the Apollo Program, and his words
remind us that there is still much to explore. “America’s
challenge of today has forged man’s destiny of tomorrow.”
Since 1972, the United States and other countries have sent
several robotic probes to study the moon. From the Apollo
program and recent robotic studies, NASA scientists have
learned much about the moon’s environment, terrain, and the
possibility of water.
The moon’s temperatures range from very hot (+134° C/+273°
F) to very cold (–153°C/–244° F). Its gravity is 1/6 Earth’s,
making astronauts feel much lighter on the moon than on Earth.
The moon has no atmosphere.
In 1996, NASA’s Clementine spacecraft
collected data that indicated there was ice in the bottom
of a crater near the moon’s South Pole. This area is permanently
in shadow and very cold. In 1998, the Lunar Prospector probe
gathered some exciting scientific data that showed even more
ice at the North Pole. Based upon the data, scientists estimate
that more than 5 trillion kilograms (about six billion tons)
of water ice may be trapped in the shadows near the moon’s
Polar Regions.
NASA’s next scheduled robotic lunar mission is the Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission. This spacecraft will search
for water ice, look for potential resources in lunar dust,
and map the lunar surface for potential landing sites. It
will also study the effects of space radiation on samples
identical to human tissue. All this information will help
NASA return astronauts to safely work and live on the moon.
What we learn on the moon will help us plan for a crewed
space mission to Mars, making it as safe and efficient as
possible. There are many similarities between the moon and
Mars. It is extremely cold on both. Gravity on both Mars
and the moon is less than Earth’s gravity. The moon and Mars
are both covered with a dust called regolith. Regolith is
formed by constant bombardment of micrometeorites.
We think the moon and Mars both have water ice mixed within
and trapped below their surfaces. Finding ways to collect
and use water on the moon will help us learn to use Martian
resources. We will also need to improve ways to recycle used
water.
NASA’s current Vision for Space Exploration calls
for “exploring Earth, moon, Mars, and beyond.” With only
three days travel time from Earth, returning to the moon
will help us learn how to prepare for long-term stays on
other worlds. Additionally, living and working on the moon
will provide opportunities to conduct new fundamental science
studies. We’ll be learning how to “live off the land” by
making oxygen and rocket propellants from the local materials,
and we’ll be testing new technologies and operations. Living
and working on the moon will be a test run for living and
working on Mars and beyond. |
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