Having a dream of building house on the moon on the moon is something that many people would love to do. If you want to do it, you have to make sure you have all of the necessary things. You have to know what it takes to build a house on the moon, and you have to know the costs as well.
Legal requirements
Several nations are gearing up to build outposts on the moon over the next few decades. Some even have plans for a human moon base. However, these plans may get a bit crowded if some of the world's burgeoning space agencies have their way.
Among the first space-related legal documents to be signed by the international community was the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. It's a short, 17-article document that sets out to govern the use of space. This includes the aforementioned ban on weapons testing, and the promotion of scientific research that is open to the broader public. It's also the first legal document to mention the phrase "solar power station."
It's not hard to see why the Outer Space Treaty has been singled out as a stumbling block in some countries' attempts to build their own space-faring infrastructure. There are also many loopholes in the lawbook that allow individuals and corporations to purchase chunks of lunar land.
Costs
Considering the potential of living on the moon, the costs of there could be astronomical. According to a report by Money magazine, a lunar mortgage would cost about $62 million for the first 25 years. The cost of a lunar home would include organic sources of energy, insulation, life-saving features, and more.
In addition to the costs of building a home, astronauts will have to travel to the moon, and there will be no cheap way to get there. The cost to put a kilogram of payload into space is a six-digit number. Ultimately, NASA wants to send its next man to the Moon in the year 2020.
The first lunar home would cost about $1 billion, and subsequent homes would be less expensive. However, the costs of the first house may be offset by knowledge gained from the first effort.
Materials needed to build a house on the moon
Creating a house on the Moon requires a different type of construction materials than what we have on Earth. It would have to be strong and durable to withstand the harsh environment. The Moon has little protective atmosphere, and it is constantly bombarded by charged particles from the Sun. It is also prone to micrometeorites, which can hit the surface at up to 25 miles per hour. The dust inhaled by lunar residents can cause lung damage.
One possible option for construction on the Moon is the use of regolith. Regolith is crushed rock that is found on the moon's surface. The material contains a large amount of oxygen in bound state. This can be released using electrochemical reactions. The oxygen can be used to power the lunar economy, and it can also provide rare metals for food production.
Health effects of lunar dust
During the Apollo Program, astronauts experienced short-term symptoms of lunar dust exposure. However, NASA records do not document any reports of significant health effects. In the future, as humankind explores beyond Earth, dust exposure will continue to be a concern.
A multinational team of researchers is studying the health effects of lunar dust. This work will help scientists at NASA determine what potential health risks might arise. They will also help ensure the safety of future astronauts. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration recently awarded the team $7.5 million over five years to conduct the research.
The team of scientists includes researchers from NASA's Johnson Space Center and Brookhaven National Laboratory, as well as the American Museum of Natural History. Their research will assess the effects of exposure to moon dust on human mitochondria and mitochondrial function. They will then recommend mitigation measures to ensure the safety of astronauts.
Safety of living on the moon
Leaving Earth's confines would be akin to taking the plunge. A long-term lunar outpost would require some serious planning and some of the same cautions that we do on earth. Thankfully, a few space agencies have released details on their plans for the moon. While it's still too early to say for certain, a return to the Moon is on the cards for the Trump administration.
While the lunar surface may not be as conducive to human habitation as Earth, a few nifty tricks of the trade can help. For instance, some gurus have proposed covering shelters in a thick layer of water to help mitigate the effects of the lack of a protective atmosphere. A recycling air system could be adapted for the moon, while a couple of beefy rovers might be the ticket to underground dwellings.