1st Space development network conference 2016, Bangalore

Colonizing moon: Insights into the problems and solutions

Author: K.Mohan (Mohan Sanjeevan)
Science, Sci-fi writer, Poet, Research Associate, Bellatrix Aerospace Pvt. Ltd.,
Introduction
Human beings have always dreamed about colonizing space and living there for just living out of
our Earth and for mining precious ores and rare metals, compounds, gases. Low earth orbit
settlements, moon colonies and mars habitats have been the areas where ideas , designing were
focused. Though in recent times the Mars has garnered attention setting up moon colonies have
not been abandoned altogether. Space faring nations still have plans of revisiting the colonization
concept on the moon. This paper focuses on setting up a moon colony, insights into the problems
and solutions in setting up the same. The paper is based on the authors own guidance blog to the
students teams participating in the moon lab segment of the national space challenge 2011 as
Event mentor

Problems, challenges and solutions

On the problems/challenges side we have to contend with ill effects of zero-g on the human
beings health like demineralization of calcium and bone loss, cosmic radiation and ways of
sheltering the settlers from it, finding water, helium for consumption and energy requirements,
taking care of damaging lunar dust, making use of in situ materials like lunar dust, coping with
harsh extreme temperatures of freezing -150 degree c to scorching 123 degree c owing to 15
continuous day and 15 day continuous night cycle. Taking care of food supply by innovative
space agriculture, meeting power requirements, meeting of communications needs to stay in
touch with the mother Planet Earth all addressed in this paper.
Water has been found on the moon by Indias ISRO first confirmed by NASA which will
facilitate settlement. The recent wonderful developments in 3D printing will make construction
of buildings and fabrication of equipments lot easier. Locating the settlement in lava tubes,
craters in the sun bathed poles to provide enough warmth and scope for solar power generation,
to shelter from the cosmic radiation is proposed.
Taking care of food supply by innovative space agriculture, meeting power requirements,
meeting of communications needs to stay in touch with the mother Planet Earth all addressed in
this paper.

The moon colony, the moon base, moon habitat as differently called is more attractive when
compared to Mars settlement in view of travel in days to reach instead of months and being two
way to come back to Earth against one way travel to Mars

Ill effects of Zero-g, ways to counter it

Pic credit : NASA

Though it is not completely zero-g on the moon, the gravity on the moon is far less being only
one sixth on the Earth which may be taken close to zero g with respect to effects on the body of
the inhabitants of the moon colony. The study of both these pictures reveal the ill effects of zero
g on the cosmonaut ,astronaut which may be extended to the inhabitants of the moon colony. The
effect on vestibular system, cardio vascular system, loco motor system like rushing of blood to
the head, like impaired vision, hearing loss, calcium loss in the bones due to demineralization of
calcium, leading to bone loss, this occurs due to bones being laid in the direction of mechanical
stress there is no mechanical stress leading to loss of bone tissue in micro gravity. Over a period

of time the change in bones strength is dramatic with bones becoming frail and weak a condition
resembling Oseteoporosis. Without the effects of gravity, skeletal muscle is no longer required to
maintain posture. In a weightless environment, astronauts put almost no weight on the
back muscles or leg muscles used for standing up. Those muscles then start to weaken and
eventually get smaller. Consequently some muscles atrophy rapidly, and without regular exercise
astronauts can lose up to 20% of their muscle mass in just 5 to 11 days Muscle loss occurs due
to this, these ill effects and reduced immune response etc., are explained in the pictures. Though
many effects of zero-g are common to both men and women, it is to be noted that women mount
more potent immune response when compared to men.
To counter the effects of zero gravity, works out like in treadmill, electrical stimulation of
muscles, exerting negative pressure on the lower parts of the body, taking suitable medications
are suggested. Inhabitants may do various weight-lifting exercises which add muscle,and a
stationary bicycle; spends at least two hours per day exercising on the equipment. They may
wear pants with elastic bands attached between waistband and cuffs to compress the leg bones
and reduce osteopenia. These methods are adopted by the astronauts aboard the International
Space Station. These are the best available measures at present. Creation of artificial gravity by a
rotating mechanism by way of enclosure to sit to be used by the inhabitants daily taking turns at
some point of time and when needed is also suggested. Research is continuously in progress to
find more safe ways, these may be adopted as and when they become available.

Dangers of cosmic radiation, harsh extreme temperatures, coping with them

sheltering the settlers from these
Cosmic rays are high energy charged particles, originating in outer space, that travel at nearly the
speed of light and strike the Earth from all directions. They are produced by the Sun, stars, quasistellar objects, black-hole accretion disks, gamma-ray bursts Most cosmic rays are fast-moving
electrically charged electrons and nuclei of atoms, ranging from the lightest to the heaviest
elements in the periodic table. They can cause direct damage to DNA and indirect effects due to
generation of reactive oxygen species. This is could cause cancer , radiation contract to the
inhabitants. The Earths atmosphere and the magnetic field ward off such radiation but the
moons literal absence of atmosphere and magnetic field make it vulnerable to the onslaught of
cosmic radiation. The moon indeed blocks galactic cosmic rays to some extent, the hazards
posed by the secondary radiation showers counter the shielding effects. Scientists have also
found that the moon itself is a source of potentially deadly radiation. Measurements by NASA's
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter show that the number of high energy particles streaming in from
space did not tail off closer to the moon's surface, as would be expected with the body of the
moon blocking half the sky.The cosmic rays created a secondary and potentially more dangerous

shower by blasting particles in the lunar soil which then become radioactive. The hazards posed
by the secondary radiation showers counter the shielding effects planned.
Besides the cosmic radiation, moon has harsh extreme temperatures of freezing -150 degree c to
scorching 123 degree c owing to 15 continuous day and 15 day continuous night cycle.
Both these problems can be tackled by the locating the settlement in lava tubes and craters in the
sun bathed poles to provide enough warmth and scope for solar power generation, to shelter
from the cosmic radiation

This is Shackleton crater, on the Moon's south pole. Pic credit:NASA

The picture is just illustrative of a lunar crater deep down of which settlement may be
constructed to protect the inhabitants from the cosmic radiation and harsh extreme temperatures.

A typical lava tube in Hawaii. Pic credit : BBC

This picture is again illustrative of the suitable site in the form of lava tube on the moon on the
pole which resembes a cave which could shelter the inhabitants from both cosmic radiation and
harsh extreme temperatures. Solar panels could be erected due to constant availability of sun
light to cater to the power requirement of the settlement

Finding water , helium for consumption, power requirements

It was Indias Chandrayan-1 which took the credit of finding water on the moon. NASA
subsequently conducted crashing of missiles on to the moon to confirm the water. However the
efforts are on to find water in the usable form of polar ice close the surface. Cubesat missions
and rover mapping mission to moon are being planned by NASA. Water once found could be
used for human consumption and for producing hydrogen and oxygen by splitting it to be used as
rocket fuel. Rockets could then take off from the moon itself to Mars and other places bringing
fuel requirement down and reducing the time of travel

The idea of finding Helium-3 is to use it in nuclear fusion reactor for power requirements.
The moon indeed has Helium-3 brought to it by the solar wind since the moon has no magnetic
field and all the solar wind carrying Helium -3 makes it to the surface of the moon. However so
far no viable fusion reactor is operational so the use of Helium-3 will remain in concept stage

Tackling the menace of the lunar dust , using them as insitu building materials
The lunar dust is a fine powder produced by the relentless pounding of the micrometeorites on
the lunar rocks. The lunar soil or regolith as it is called is very dangerous sealing off disupting
equipments, sticking to the space suits and face plates of space suits.It is abrasive like glass,
electro statically charged. The space suits , rovers and equipments have not been designed to
cope with it during the Apollo missions. However study revealed that the could be melted by
microwave oven very quickly making them insitu materials such as sintered rocket landing pads,
roads, bricks for habitats and radiation shielding. This will also serve to reduce the lunar dust
constantly floating around. 3-d printing could come in handy in such use.We can see from the pic
here how the irksome lunar dust has been put to good use by employing 3-D printing of a habitat
by robots

A lunar habitat, 'printed' by robots using Moon dust and a binding agent Pic credit- ESA

Meeting food requirement by innovative agriculture

Though water is planned to be mined and used for consumption and power requirement,
hydroponics way of waterless rearing of plants is planned

Providing communication rig up with Earth , within the settlement and at

strategic points on the moon
Communication is the life line for the settlements on the moon to stay in touch with our mother
Earth and on the moon itself .An elaborate downlink up with Earth will be established by a
communication as also network is put into place on the habitat.

So the challenges are addressed providing apt solutions

Yes we conclude with the satisfaction of colonizing moon successfully.

References

1. http://www.scribd.com/doc/88223591/Setting-Up-a-Moon-Lab-and-Living-There
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonization_of_the_Moon
3. http://www.space.com/2079-solving-settlement-problems-dealing-moon-dust.html