The next time you look at the Moon, pause for a moment and let
this thought sink in: People have actually walked on the Moon,
and right now the wheels are in motion to send people there
again. |Mosaic of lunar images from SMART-1. Moon image using
AMIE's clear filter The goals this time around are more
ambitious than they were in the days of the Apollo program.
NASA's new Vision for Space Exploration spells out a long-term
strategy of returning to the Moon as a step toward Mars and
beyond. The Moon, so nearby and accessible, is a great place to
try out new technologies critical to living on alien worlds
before venturing across the solar system. Whether a moonbase
will turn out to be feasible hinges largely on the question of
water. Colonists need water to drink. They need water to grow
plants. They can also break water apart to make air (oxygen) and
rocket fuel (oxygen+hydrogen). Furthermore, water is
surprisingly effective at blocking space radiation. Surrounding
the 'base with a few feet of water' would hel