Project Description

So, we want to go to the Moon. Why? Because the Moon is an ideal “staging post” for us to accumulate materials and manpower outside of the Earth’s deep gravitational well. From the Moon we can send missions into deep space and ferry colonists to Mars. Tourists may also be interested in a short visit. Mining companies will no doubt want to set up camp there. The pursuit of science is also a major draw. For what ever reason, to maintain a presence on this small dusty satellite, we will need to build a Moon base. Be it for the short-term or long-term, man will need to colonize the Moon. But where would we live? How could we survive on this hostile landscape? This is where structural engineers will step in, to design, and build, the most extreme habitats ever conceived…

Manned missions to Mars take up a lot of the limelight insofar as colonization efforts are concerned, so it’s about time some focus is aimed at the ongoing and established concepts for colonization of the Moon. We currently have a means of getting there (after all, it is nearly 40 years ago since Apollo 11) and our technology is sufficiently advanced to sustain life in space, the next step is to begin building.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

For over a decade Ian O’Neil has been working as senior producer, science writer and editor for Discovery News and Seeker.com, space blogger for Universe Today and has collaborated with many online and TV channels including Discovery Channel, Al Jazeera and Science Channel. He is a freelance science writer for HowStuffWorks.com, Space.com and others. He holds a Ph.D in solar physics and a Masters in astrophysics.  See his blog posts, media appearances, and more of his publications at astroengine.com