Scientists have pointed out that in order to develop the Moon, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive exploration of the Moon, to understand the Moon's resources, and to develop them gradually. The moon is extremely rich in mineral resources, and 17 of the most common elements on Earth are abundant on the moon. Take iron as an example, just the 5-centimeter-thick sandy soil on the surface of the Moon contains hundreds of millions of tons of iron, and the entire surface of the Moon has an average of 10-meter-thick sandy soil. Not only is the moon's surface unusually rich in iron, but it is also easy to mine and smelt. It has been reported that the iron on the Moon is mainly iron oxide, so it is sufficient to separate oxygen from iron; in addition, scientists have developed ways to use lunar soil and rocks to make cement and glass. In the surface layer of the moon, aluminum is also very rich.
Lunar soil is also rich in helium 3, the use of deuterium and helium 3 helium fusion can be used as a nuclear power plant energy, this fusion does not produce neutrons, safe and non-polluting, it is easy to control nuclear fusion, not only can be used for nuclear power plants on the ground, but also particularly suitable for cosmic navigation. It is known that the content of helium 3 in the lunar soil is estimated at 715,000 tons. For every ton of helium 3 extracted from lunar soil, 6,300 tons of hydrogen, 70 tons of nitrogen and 1,600 tons of carbon can be obtained. According to current analysis, the Moon's large helium-3 reserves will be a welcome relief for the Earth, which will be short of energy in the future. Many spacefaring nations have made the acquisition of helium-3 one of the most important goals in the development of the Moon.
On March 5, 1998, NASA released a big news to the world: the Lunar Prospector probe found
that there existed a large amount of liquid water at the lunar poles, with a reserve of about 0.1 to 300 million tons, which were distributed in the north pole of the Moon of nearly 50,000 square kilometers
and the south pole of nearly 20,000 square kilometers. 20,000 square kilometers at the South Pole. If the soil water layer at the bottom of lunar craters is very deep, the water reserves on the Moon
may eventually reach 1.3 billion tons.
The exciting news that water resources on the moon have been confirmed for the first time has delighted scientists and reverberated around the world, as the discovery is a landmark for the establishment of permanent lunar bases in the next century.
Scientists believe that the water resources on the moon may be the most valuable "real estate" humans have in the solar system.
Even if the moon's water reserves were only 33 million tons, that would be enough to keep 2,000 people on the moon for more than 100 years, and extracting water from the moon's soil is a "simple" process that involves collecting ice-mixed dirt and heating it so that the ice melts to give
water. water. It is estimated that the ice water now found could fill a lake 11 meters deep and 10 square kilometers in size. Lunar water is a source of life, not only can it supply astronauts with water for drinking and living, so that they can stay on the moon for a longer period of time
, but also cultivate crops or feed animals in space; water is also a power source, can be decomposed into hydrogen and oxygen to provide fuel for the
planetary exploration spacecraft, which greatly extends the service life of the spacecraft, and with water, scientists can easily develop the lunar
moon
water. With water, scientists can conveniently develop all kinds of natural resources on the Moon
and use the Moon as an outpost for exploring the cosmic space; water is also of great significance to the study of the Moon's causes
and properties.
Of course, the development of water resources on the Moon is not an easy task, because the ice on the Moon is not concentrated in a single frozen layer,
a large amount of ice is mixed with rocks, dust and soil, and it is estimated that its content accounts for only 0.3%-1%. In addition, because the lunar craters
have never seen the light of day, the mixing inside the craters is so pronounced that they need machines that can work at temperatures as low as -230 degrees Celsius at the lunar poles, but it is extremely difficult to build such machines.
Nevertheless, since there is water on the moon, the day when mankind returns to the moon, establishes a lunar base, and exploits the moon's resources
will be the goal of 21st century science and technology. In addition, the development and utilization of the moon's water resources will also turn space tourism from ideal to reality.
It is very necessary for human beings to carry out scientific exploration and research activities on the lunar surface, develop and utilize lunar resources and establish permanent lunar bases. As for the construction of the lunar base and the program of lunar surface activities, there have been many proposals, due to different purposes and different proposers, so the various proposals are very different. But as long as we analyze these proposals from the overall conception, all of them are inseparable from the following stages of development.
①Preparation stage of base construction: investigation of terrain and resources;
②Building of outposts: living on the lunar surface, preparation for transition to the next stage;
③Establishment of lunar production bases: permanent residence on the lunar surface, start of production activities;
④Developing lunar bases: normalization of production activities;
⑤Mature lunar bases (i.e., permanent lunar base, or permanent base, or permanent lunar base, or permanent lunar base). Mature lunar base (i.e. permanent lunar base): all kinds of industries are established and economy is independent.
The construction of lunar outposts means that mankind has entered the second stage of lunar base construction. It should be said that this is just the beginning of the human activity to develop the Moon. Young scientists will go to the lunar outposts and participate in the actual investigation on the front line, hoping to grasp more first-hand information and dedicate their youth to the development and construction of the Moon. Attracted by the rich resources on the moon, the young and strong industrialists will open up new battlefields and go to the moon to open mines, build factories and start businesses to speed up the pace of utilizing the moon's resources and to make great achievements on the moon.
What must be emphasized here is that when a large number of people enter the lunar base and move to the stage of constructing the lunar production base, the problems that need to be solved are much more complicated and difficult than the construction of the outpost. This is because the increase in the number of personnel requires the construction of on-site dwellings, and relying on astronaut dwellings on the lander is far from adequate. The lunar surface is a vacuum, and the surface temperature varies from -170°C to +130°C, which is a huge temperature difference. In addition, it has to withstand dangerous environments such as cosmic rays and the harassment of tiny meteorites. In order for astronauts to live in such a severe natural environment for a long period of time, the structure of the base's various buildings must be highly airtight, insulated, and resistant to radiation. Scientists have sketched out the basic outline of the lunar production base and proposed the layout of industrial and agricultural production and scientific research on the moon for designers to use as the basis for architectural design.
Based on the research and analysis of lunar rock samples and a large amount of relevant data, the principle of prioritizing the production of products on the Moon has been determined, which is mainly to make full use of the lunar resources and to produce the necessary raw materials for the expansion of the lunar bases, with the emphasis on the production of oxygen, the smelting of metals, and the preparation of construction materials. In order to realize this purpose, people have carried out detailed research on the production process and preparation method of the processing plant on the Moon in many aspects.
Scientists have been carrying out research on the method of extracting oxygen from lunar topsoil for a long time, and they used the lunar sand retrieved by the Apollo spacecraft to carry out experiments, and at a high temperature of 1,000 degrees Celsius, the ilmenite in the lunar sand was contacted with hydrogen to produce water, and then the water was extracted through electrolysis to extract oxygen. The study showed that about 70 tons of lunar topsoil were needed to extract one ton of oxygen. Considering the special circumstances of production on the Moon, it is suggested that, in conjunction with the construction of a lunar base, consideration should be given to equipping it with a small set of chemical processing equipment, which, using solar energy as a driving force, can produce about 100 kilograms of liquid oxygen per day. The specific process involves the use of lunar rocks to react with methane at high temperatures to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen. In a second reactor at a lower temperature, the carbon monoxide reacts with more hydrogen, reducing it to methane and water. The water is then condensed and electrolyzed into hydrogen and oxygen, with the oxygen stored for use and the hydrogen fed into the system for recycling. It is predicted that the lunar oxygen generator, which was originally designed to provide oxygen to astronauts on the lunar surface, will not require much oxygen - a 12-person base would only need 350 kilograms of oxygen per month. A 12-person base would only need 350 kilograms of oxygen per month, but a set of oxygen generating equipment can produce a considerable amount of oxygen when it is in continuous operation, so a permanent reservoir of liquid oxygen should be built at the same time as the lunar base to supply the spacecraft with cryogenic propellant fuel.
It is very meaningful that the "slag" obtained after chemical treatment in the process of oxygen production has become an excellent by-product. This is because it is rich in free silicon and metal oxides for smelting, as long as the use of appropriate industrial methods can continue to smelting, refining the industrial value of the metal titanium. Scientists proposed titanium production process is, the "slag" through mechanical crushing, magnetic separation, extracted iron and titanium oxides, hydrogenation at a high temperature of 1273 ° C to generate titanium oxide, and then sulfuric acid to replace the iron, and then mixed with carbon, at a temperature of 700 ° C into the chlorine, after a chemical reaction to generate titanium tetrachloride, and then heated at a high temperature of 2000 ° C to produce titanium tetrachloride, and then the chemical reaction to produce titanium tetrachloride, and then the chemical reaction to produce titanium tetrachloride. Then it is heated at 2000℃ and magnesium is put into it to get rid of the chlorine, and finally the titanium in molten state is obtained.
The aluminum refining method is even more innovative. Aluminum on the lunar surface is made up of a complex structure called plagioclase feldspar, which would be difficult to produce successfully on the lunar surface using conventional refining methods. After repeated tests and studies, the scientists came up with a new process for refining aluminum. The specific method is to crush the moon rock, melt it at 1700℃, then cool it down to 100℃ in water to make it into polymorphous balls, then crush it and add sulfuric acid at 100℃ into it to leach aluminum. After removing the silicide by centrifugal separation and filtration, it is then subjected to a pyrolytic reaction at a temperature of 900°C to obtain a mixture of alumina and sodium sulfate. The sodium sulfate is then washed off and dried, then mixed with carbon and heated while chlorine is added to react with it to produce aluminum chloride, which is electrolyzed to obtain the final product, pure aluminum.
Glass is essential to the construction industry, so it is important to produce it on the surface of the moon. Typical glass is composed of 71 to 73% silicon oxide, 12 to 14% sodium carbonate, and 12 to 14% calcium oxide. Since the lunar soil contains 40-50% silicon oxide, the production of glass on the lunar surface is based on silica glass. Its refining method is relatively simple, that is, in the lunar soil according to the need to add a variety of micro-additives, with sulfuric acid to dissolve out some of the useless components, then melted at 1500 ~ 1700 ℃, and then by the calendering and cooling, can be made into lunar glass.
With the development of lunar resources has achieved quite amazing results, the trial production stage has come to an end, small-scale trial production of products is far from being able to meet the demand, the need to further expand the reproduction, so that the lunar production activities are gradually moving towards batch production. At the same time, with the increase in the number of personnel entering the Moon to participate in the development of the Moon, the lunar bases that had been constructed had become overcrowded, and it had become necessary to complete the reconstruction and expansion of the bases, which undoubtedly required large quantities of construction materials, especially concrete. Fortunately, the sand, gravel and cement needed to make concrete can be obtained locally. Concrete structures are low-cost, easy to mold, and resistant to irradiation, making it the most promising building material for lunar bases. A new type of lunar base could be constructed using precast concrete modules, depending on the design. Of course, there are many forms of lunar concrete components that have been adopted, but here we introduce a general-purpose module in the form of a hexagonal prism, with a frame and wall panels made of concrete and then assembled and molded. The biggest advantage of this form of module is very flexible, because it is a hexagonal body, through the various surfaces can be extended to the parallel direction of radiation, but also to the vertical direction (upward) expansion, walls, ceilings, floors, at any time can be dismantled, but also according to the needs of the combination of the splicing again, expanding the base, adjusting the space. Finally, the cylindrical pressurized module inside it is connected to form an assembled lunar base.
People build bases on the moon, in addition to the development of resources and production, the ultimate goal is to expand the moon into a migrant area, so that more people to the moon to sightseeing, excursions, or bring the whole family to move to the moon, to be a lunar man. This would require a much larger scale of construction, more building materials, and a much simpler method of construction. Some scientists have suggested that a construction technique used in Antarctica, known as "dig-and-fill", would be perfectly suited to the Moon. A bulldozer would dig a trench into the soft rock or "float" on the lunar surface, load a cylindrical pressurized module into the trench, connect it, and then cover it with a thick layer of lunar rock and soil, which would be heat-resistant, insulated, and protected from irradiation. Scientists have designed a lunar surface research and experiment base, the main task of which is to carry out astronomical observation, geomorphologic and geologic investigation and mineral resources exploration on the lunar surface. It is designed to accommodate 60 astronauts and provide energy and necessities for more than six months.
The lunar surface research and experiment base is divided into two major parts: the working area and the living area, which are composed of a spherical module and a cylindrical module forming a ring. The working area consists of research and experiment module, industrial production module, crop planting module, ecological environment life-support module, management module, energy module, material supply module, spaceport and so on. The crop planting module not only produces crops, but also raises animals such as chickens, goats, rabbits and fish, cultivates algae and ferns, as well as fruits and vegetables. The ecological environment life-support module is equipped with gas purification treatment, water treatment and excreta treatment facilities. The energy module is mainly equipped with solar power generation facilities, with large solar arrays placed on the flat ground outside the module. The spaceport is a little farther away from the research and experiment base, and is used for receiving and launching lunar spacecraft. Entering the living area, there is another world, where the environment is so beautiful that people feel comfortable and happy, and can wash away the fatigue of a day's work. In the living area, there are public places, residences and supporting facilities. The public **** place is for the astronauts to communicate with each other emotionally, talk about the world, exchange information, have meals, gatherings, entertainment, etc. The astronauts dance to the soft music or have a drink in the video screen, and get enough rest. The ceiling and walls are painted in white, making people feel bright and comfortable. The personal residence, which is a space for astronauts to sleep, read books and newspapers and have fun, is decorated with cool colors such as blue and green to make the interior softer, and the lighting arrangement makes the space full of three-dimensional sense, which makes people feel quiet and easy to fall asleep in such an environment. There is a gymnasium and a healthcare center.
What kind of lunar base should be built is a matter of concern for many people. Some energy scientists have suggested that the moon contains large amounts of silicon, iron, aluminum, titanium, calcium, oxygen and other elements that are sufficiently abundant on Earth for human use, so mining them is not a priority. Only helium is found nowhere else on Earth, especially helium-3, which is an energy source not found on Earth, is abundant, and is an ideal fuel for future fusion reactors, so priority should be given to the development of a lunar energy base. Other energy experts have pointed out that priority should also be given to the construction of a lunar solar power base. In fact, there is no contradiction between the two, which is sufficient to show that the solution to the problem of the future energy shortage on Earth has been imminent.
Because the moon and the Earth have similar geological features and are rich in nuclear resources and raw materials for building nuclear power plants, the moon is very suitable for building nuclear power plants. While nuclear power generation on Earth uses turbines and water, on the Moon, nuclear energy can be directly converted into electricity by adopting highly efficient composite energy conversion systems such as thermionic and thermoelectric generators. The envisioned lunar nuclear energy base would include nuclear fuel supply plants, nuclear power generation facilities and transmission facilities. Electricity from the Moon would be transmitted through highly efficient short-wavelength laser beams, i.e., lasers in the ultraviolet region, to energy relay satellites in geostationary orbit, where it would be converted to lasers of highly efficient wavelengths in air and then transmitted to receiving stations on Earth. The receiving station then distributes the energy to the various zones for use by the users.
Lunar nuclear power bases are usually built in the polar regions of the Moon because the poles are the best place to transmit energy to Earth. Once the lunar nuclear energy base is built and put into stable operation, it will be controlled, maintained and repaired by robots, posing absolutely no threat of contamination to human beings. In order to establish the lunar nuclear energy base, there are many engineering problems that need to be solved as soon as possible, such as ultra-high-efficiency energy conversion systems, nuclear reactors for space, space robots, high-power output of high-efficiency laser generating equipment, receiving equipment, and laser transmission safety technology.
As mentioned earlier, helium-3 is not only abundant on the Moon, but also a clean nuclear energy source, which is very favorable to the purification of the Earth's environment and attractive to human beings. If it is mined from the Moon and transported to Earth for the enjoyment of mankind, it will undoubtedly benefit mankind greatly. It is predicted that the helium-3 extracted from the Moon's ores would be enough to meet the energy needs of the entire planet for 400 years. It has been calculated that the construction of a 500-megawatt deuterium-helium-3 fusion power plant would require about 50 kilograms of helium-3 per year, i.e., it would only require digging a pit on the lunar surface with an area of 1.5 square kilometers and a depth of 3 meters per year. It's radioactivity-free and produces more energy, and by using helium-3 as a feedstock, the cost of a nuclear reactor would be cut in half. The development of helium-3 lunar resources alone is enough to understand the far-reaching social and economic implications of a return to the Moon.
In short, the lunar base will be the beginning of the extension of human existence to planets beyond Earth, the first immigration zone in human space, and a staging ground for the advancement of mankind to other planets in the solar system. The construction of the lunar base is a new technological revolution that will have a significant and far-reaching impact on the world's culture, economy, society, science and technology and other fields.