Welcome to the Sunday Paper Club. Every Sunday, this blog will offer an analysis of a paper on space habitation and other related topics. These are my opinions on a weekly scientific paper; basically I read the paper and write down my thoughts are I read it. They are subject to my perspectives and believes. I am open to debate, so if any reader believes I have misinterpreted something in a paper, please point it out. I'm only a student and I'm still learning how to read these papers and interpret them. All quotes and ideas are from the paper unless otherwise noted.
This week we are reviewing the paper Lunar Industries and Their Value for the Human Environment on Earth. I am using a new format based on the Lifehacker article Back to School: Keep an Academic Reading Journal.
Article Information
Title: Lunar Industries and Their Value for the Human Environment on Earth
Author: Krafft A. Ehrick
Date: August 1973
Journal: Acta Astronautica
Volume: 1
Issue: 5-6
Article Overview
Currently, humanity operates in a closed world system. We only extract resource from earth; we do not interact with another planetary body in a measurable way. However, an open world existence will give humanity to opportunity to grow endlessly, without damage to the biosphere. This is accomplished through the industrialization of space. Thus, the moon becomes critical because it sets the tone on how we use space. This paper shows use how we can exploit the moon in a profitable way and a path way to becoming a truly space faring species.
Key/Interesting Quotes
“the information oriented and information controlled interaction with the lunar environment on the basis of synergistically integrating three aspects: extraction of lunar materials for local autonomy, cycling, and utilization of the "waste products" for industrial "export products", in order to supply orbiting installations and lay the foundations for the gradual evolution of a functionally integrated lunar and orbital industrial complex whose ultimate purpose is to reduce the ecological burden on the terrestrial environment, thus improving the human environment without reducing the level of productivity required by modern civilization.” Page 1
“We will never be able to develop or reach another inhabitable world unless we solve first the present crisis [population growth] on this one.” Page 1
“Open space is in many respects a more benign environment than the Earth's surface, to say nothing of the underwater environment”, in industrial applications Page 2
“…we do not live in a closed, isolated world—a ‘spaceship Earth’--but in an open world, on a planet that can be the future cockpit of the solar system.” Page 2
“…long-range thinking in the industrial world should raise its sights to an open-world development program whose central premise is the operative indivisibility of Earth and space” Page 3
“Openworld development means the upgrading of low living standards without destroying existing high living standards.” Page 3
“The central aspect of the extraterrestrial industrial expansion is the acquisition of new environments…” Page 7
“…the industrialization of the Moon will be crucial for the extraterrestrial industrial expansion” Page 7
“The open-world development concept places lunar operations into a new perspective by recognizing the lunar industrial potential and its value for the human environment on Earth. This philosophy adds the spirit of the industrialist to that of the explorer and scientist.” Page 8
“We must further think in terms of lunar production figures of thousands to hundred thousands of tons annually and of cislunar transporter capacities of several thousand tons, if we want to even begin making sense economically and being relevant to the needs of open-world development.” Page 8
A separate study “found that an investment of $150 billion over 30 years would provide a lunar industrial production and transportation capacity (within geolunar space) of at least one million tons annually of raw materials, semi-finished and finished products.” Page 9
“At the center of the lunar disc at high noon, the subsolar horizontal surface is offered 1.35 kw/m^2” Page 10
“The mare basalts are dark, iron-rich and relatively heavy. The anorthosite is a lightly colored, aluminum-rich, less dense material, a major rock-type of the lunar highlands. The lunar anorthosites are more depleted of potassium, uranium and thorium than the mare basalts.” Page 11
“…the Moon seems to be depleted in volatile elements and enriched in refractory elements [metals with high melting points]” Page 13
“even a shallow underground facility, or one covered with regolith, would be well insulated from the variations in solar heat input.” Page 14
“In the lunar environment we can apply strip mining techniques and expend vast amounts of cheap energy without ‘polluting’ the environment. Because this environment is "dead" there are no cyclic processes to consider.” Page 18
The moon’s purpose in space habitation is “the gradual reduction of the industrial burden on the terrestrial environment, thereby improving the human environment while the human industrial capacity continues to grow.” Page 19
“mining on the Moon does not mean going after a particular metal but rather extracting a large number of metals in proportion to their abundance and partly in proportion to the energy expended.” Page 25
Personal Response to the Paper
A while ago, I read the Hard SF article Can Space Colonization End Overpopulation? and I completely abandoned the argument that space habitation can help overpopulation. However, this paper may have proved that space habitation will aid over population indirectly. Population is limited by the resources available which in turn is limited by the amount of energy available. The moon provides an answer to both of these problems, industries can collect resources needed on Earth with abundant energy though solar and nuclear power.
However, I am not comfortable with one of the assumptions the paper makes. The paper assumes there is a seamless transition between the Earth and the moon. Due to the Earth’s gravity well and atmosphere , I feel this is not true. Lunar goods will need to be protected when they are brought down to Earth. Items from Earth while need powerful rockets. So, this paper is leaning towards a reusable system, which is extremely expensive to implement.
Questions Raised by the Paper
This paper assumes the moon is bone dry, now since NASA has confirmed water on the moon, how does the author’s argument change?
Can we be as carefree as the paper suggests when using resources in space?
Nuclear charges are used as the primary mining explosive in this paper, how do we over come the political obstacles to using nuclear explosives in space?
When do we see the return on the investment on the moon?
