K
kelvin_zero
Guest
The idea of building something the scale of a magnetosphere sounds ridiculous but is it? This link on mini magnetospheric plasma propulsion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini-magnetospheric_plasma_propulsion suggests that in vacuum even a very lightweight object can create a significant magnetosphere from a small carried supply of gas, so what could a hefty version on the moon's surface produce?<br /><br />The intended benifit is to reduce the amount of radiation shielding required for moon habitats. Also, to what degree could a magnetosphere affect the moon's ability to retain atmosphere?<br /><br />Of course there would have to be careful consideration of how it would interact with the earth's magnetic field also. I think some animals use a magnetic sense for navigation. Worse, perhaps it could interfere with the van-allen belt or turn the earth into a microwave oven. Still.. shouldnt dwell on the negatives.. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />