It is possible to live on the moon

Earth's natural satellite Moon is on the radar of all space enthusiasts from SpaceX's Elon Musk to Blue Origin's Jeff Bezos. While a human colony on the Moon may be imminent, it's not happening anytime soon. Regardless, scientists are pursuing the potential of living on Mars aggressively.

The Moon's atmosphere is extremely thin, made up of hydrogen, neon, and argon. The satellite also has lots of oxygen, just not in the form we're used to. Unlike the gaseous form we breathe in on Earth, the oxygen on Earth is trapped inside regolith, a layer of rock and dust from which the Moon's surface is made.

Turns out, this oxygen can sustain a human colony of 16 billion people for over 50,000 years!

What is this regolith?

The regolith on Moon is made up of approximately 45 per cent oxygen, most of which is trapped in minerals like silica, aluminium, iron, and magnesium. While Earth's soil is a product of interaction between organisms and Earth's original terrain, Moon's surface has remained the same and untouched, according to The Conversation.

To access the oxygen on Moon's surface, a lot of energy needs to be put in. Electrolysis - the process of passing current would help unearth oxygen on Moon. A byproduct of this process would be aluminium.

Also read: Scientists Find A Lost Piece Of Moon Orbiting Dangerously Close To Earth

This process would require a lot of energy, which humans could harness from the Sun or other sources of energy on the Moon. 

Assuming that the regolith on Mono's surface is about ten meters deep, enough oxygen could be extracted to support eight billion humans for 100,000 years or 16 billion humans for 50,000 years!

Also read: Mars Had Saturn-Like Rings Which Will Appear Again, Thanks To Its Moon Phobos

What do you think about this fantastic observation? Would you move to the Moon? Share your thoughts with us below. For more in the world of tech and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

Citation

Grant, J. (2021, November 10). The Moon’s top layer alone has enough oxygen to sustain 8 billion people for 100,000 years. The Conversation. 

• NASA expects humans to live and work on the moon by 2030, an official said.
• NASA launched an unmanned spacecraft to the moon last week, considered a key preliminary step.
• Astronauts living on the moon could be used as a launchpad for crewed missions to Mars.

Humans are on track to live and work on the moon by 2030, a NASA official has said.

"We're going to be sending people down to the surface and they're going to be living on that surface and doing science," said Howard Hu, who leads the Orion lunar spacecraft program for NASA, the BBC reported Sunday.

NASA successfully launched its powerful new Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket last week, sending the Orion spacecraft on its way towards the moon.

The launch, which had been repeatedly delayed, set NASA's Artemis missions in motion, the first major step towards putting humans back on the moon in almost 50 years.

Orion is uncrewed this time around, as it aims to test its ability to bring a capsule to the moon and back. But next time it it expected to take astronauts with it as it circles the celestial body.

If all goes well, the same spacecraft could then be used to put humans on the moon's surface, for the first time since 1972, including the first female astronaut.

The current plan is for the crew to land near the moon's south pole, where they will spend about a week looking for signs of water. If the precious liquid is found, it could be used to help fuel rockets on their way to Mars.

This would mean permanent human settlements would need to be built to support mining and scientific activities.

"It's the first step we're taking to long-term deep space exploration, for not just the United States but for the world," Hu told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg. 

Orion is due to fly by the moon today around 7:44 a.m. ET. You can watch NASA's live coverage here.