In October this year, the Japanese satellite Selenological and Engineering Explorer (SELEN), also known as the Kaguya, discovered a huge underground cave on the Moon. The space, 100 meters wide and 50 kilometers long, immediately attracted the attention of scientists as a potential site for the founding of a lunar colony. Some experts believe that these caves are the best place to live on the moon.
After the lunar probe discovered strange holes measuring 50 by 50 meters on the surface, scientists decided to conduct a radio scan of these areas. The researchers concluded that these pits, in fact representing the outlets of giant caves or tunnels, have sufficient structural strength and may well contain deposits in the form of ice, as well as rock with a high concentration of water. And both of these elements would prove to be ideal sources of resources needed to produce fuel.
Scientists suggest that rivers of hot lava flowed through these tunnels about 3.5 billion years ago, when the Moon was still volcanically active. They are located near the lunar region called the Hills of Marius.
The Guardian newspaper, quoting Junichi Haruyama, a senior researcher at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, writes that these lava channels “could be ideal sites for setting up lunar bases. With a stable temperature background and strong structure, they are able to protect people, tools and equipment from micrometeorites and cosmic radiation."
The discovery of such caves under the lunar surface raises our hopes that one day artificial settlements will be erected on the Earth's satellite, and the use of the natural landscape of the moon will definitely help in solving some practical problems, experts say. It would seem that these are just thoughts aloud, but experts advise not to rush to conclusions. Yes, once proposals for the creation of a permanent human presence on the moon were viewed exclusively through the prism of science fiction. Until recently, everyone agreed that such a project would be incredibly costly, both in terms of organization and implementation. However, recent technological advances tell us that this is no longer quite the case.
You might be surprised if you like, but virtually everything that humankind has achieved over the past few years, from developing self-driving cars to toilets that can efficiently dispose of waste, can significantly help reduce the cost of establishing a lunar colony. At the same time, the most optimistic forecasts indicate that its appearance can be expected as early as 2022, according to the conclusions of the scientific journal New Space, made last year. If this is true, then any opportunities and technologies that will reduce the cost of its construction will literally be worth its weight in gold and will come in handy.
I would like to rejoice, but so far there is nothing. If we take into account only the United States and in particular its aerospace agency NASA, which spends more on space exploration than all other space agencies in the world, then even it will be powerless before such a task. The current level of funding is insufficient to fully start implementing this plan. The Apollo space program, which allowed humans to visit the lunar surface in 1969, cost the States $ 150 billion (by modern standards). Now the numbers may look much more modest. In 2016, the agency was allocated $ 19.3 billion, and in 2017 - $ 19.65 billion. Even according to the most optimistic version of the aforementioned scientific journal New Space, the cost of building a colony will be about $ 10 billion.that is, more than half of the agency's total budget. Of course, NASA cannot handle such a burden.
However, NASA doesn't have to do it all. The work of private companies like SpaceX and other space agencies like ESA in the same direction could, if not simplify, then at least rally efforts to achieve this goal. Modern experts generally agree that the establishment of a lunar colony will only be possible if public and private companies make joint efforts.
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"America is unlikely to be able to conduct much activity on the Moon or Mars if the country is the only participant in these events," said Chris McKay, senior researcher at NASA.
“What is the point of playing“king of the mountain”if you are the only king who will crawl up this mountain? At the same time, if private companies or other states want to establish their influence on the Moon or Mars, then the United States simply cannot refuse the opportunity to compete and take a leading position in this race."
McKay believes that life and experiments on the International Space Station have already shown that the level of development of life support technologies is high enough for similar systems to be used on the lunar station. The only thing we really lack is the technology that will allow us to deploy on the moon. True, and this may soon cease to be a problem. With regards to the same NASA, the agency in May this year announced the search for private partners interested in mining on the moon.
Nikolay Khizhnyak
