Marburger speech -- reasons for the Moon

[rocketwatcher2001]

I think that exploiting the materials on the moon is the only logical way to have a large scale population anywhere else in the solar system. If we want to settle on Mars, a lot of the heavy stuff will be made by moon stuff, big stuff, like nuclear powered foundries, etc... If we are lucky enough to have a good size water supply on the moon, so much the better. I wouldn't be suprised to see things launched by rail gun directly from the lunar surface into Mars orbit with a small amount of breaking at the end, especially if the transit time were a few years. I don't know if Mars's thin atmosphere would make a similar railgun on Mars unworkable.<br /><br />The moon really is in a good position for us, I just wish we were taking advantage of it right now. The only reason we don't have a Space Program like A.C. Clarke's 2001 A Space Odyssy is because we decided not to do it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[nacnud]

You could launch of Olimpus Mons into space with a rain gun, propably.

 

[rocketman5000]

From what I know fo we are still a long way from having a computer like Hal, for better or worse...

 

[rocketwatcher2001]

OK, you have a good point about HAL, but Clarke didn't see the internet coming, at least not the way it turned out! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>