NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Return to the Moon: A New Strategic EvaluationThis paper reviews the value of a new lunar program, initially robotic and eventually manned, in the light of developments since the 1991 Synthes Group study of the Space Exploration Initiative. The objective is to evaluate a return to the Moon in comparison to proposed Mars programs as a focus for American space exploration with humans in the next century. The Moon is demonstrably accessible, hospitable, useful, and interesting. Lunar programs are inherently faster and less risky from a programmatic viewpoint than comparable Mars programs such as Mars Direct. The dominant reason for a resumption of manned lunar missions, focused on a single site such as Grimaldi, is to rebuild the infrastructure for missions beyond Earth orbit, the last of which was in 1972. A transitional prograrr@ corresponding to the 10 Gemini missions that bridged the gap between Mercury and Apollo, was considered absolutely essential by the Synthesis Group. Further justification for a return to the Moon is the demonstrated feasibility of a robotic lunar observatory, concentrating on optical and infrared interferometry. Many unsolved scientific questions about the Moon itself remain, and could be investigated using telerobotic lunar rovers even before the return of humans. Mars is unquestionably more interesting scientifically and far more hospitable for long-term colonization. A new lunar program would be the most effective possible preparation for the human exploration, settlement and eventually the terraforming of Mars. Lunar and Mars programs are complementary, not competitive. Both can be justified in the most fundamental terms as beginning the dispersal of the human species against uncontrollable natural disasters, cometary or asteroidal impacts in particular, to which mankind is vulnerable while confined to a single planet. Three specific programs are recommended for the 2001-2010 period: Ice Prospectors, to evaluate polar ice or hydrogen deposits; a robotic lunar observatory; and a manned lunar base and observatory.
Document ID
20000027391
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Lowman, Paul D., Jr.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1999
Publication Information
Publication: Space Resources Utilization Roundtable
Subject Category
Astronautics (General)
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available