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You need less Δv, on average, to mine near-Earth asteroids, than launching resources off the Moon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTAxjJ6KY7M https://www.yout
by a_gnostic 3y ago
You need less Δv, on average, to mine near-Earth asteroids, than launching resources off the Moon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTAxjJ6KY7M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTAxjJ6KY7M
- JoshTriplett 3y agoExactly. The moon has a gravity well, and while it's a sixth of Earth's, it would still take a lot of energy. Plus, there's the public relations of mining the moon, versus mining asteroids.
- Perz1val 3y agoPerfect use for a system like SpinLaunch: - no fuel, just solar energy - the Moon always faces the Earth with the same side - no air to create drag - no need for huge burts of energy - a block of minerals does not mind extreme g-forces
- NL807 3y agoUnlike on earth, a space elevator is actually feasible on the Moon with current technology.
- oneshtein 3y agoMoon has no atmosphere, so all required Δv can be applied at launching point. It's much much harder to land on Moon, than to launch from Moon.
- sjducb 3y agoLunar escape velocity is still pretty high. 2.4km/s compared to earth’s 11.2km/s. However, there is a gun that can fire projectiles at 8km/s so it’s possible. https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/white-sands/two-stage-light-gas-guns/ https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/white-sands/two-...