Scientists could use lasers and mirrors to melt the moon's surface into roads

[Daniel Sims]

Forward-looking: Dust is one of the most significant factors complicating human operations on the moon's surface. As NASA and other organizations ramp up increasingly ambitious lunar projects in the coming years, researchers have proposed a novel method for building roads and landing pads to mitigate dust dispersal.

Researchers have devised a process for paving roads and landing pads on the moon using powerful lasers. The technique could help build the foundation for permanent lunar infrastructure while requiring minimal resources from Earth.

Whenever lunar rovers drive along the moon's surface or when spacecraft land and lift off, they kick up large amounts of dust. Due to the moon's feeble gravity, that dust remains in the air for far longer than it would on Earth, causing significant damage to landers and other equipment over time. Landing objects and moving them on paved surfaces could help tremendously.

The method involves mirrors and lens-like devices concentrating sunlight to melt the dust into a glass-like state. Engineers would cast the molten rock into triangular shapes and arrange them into lattice-like patterns to form pavement.

Researchers successfully tested the process by substituting the sunlight magnifier with a 12-kilowatt carbon dioxide laser and using it on simulated lunar soil. While the device would need transportation from Earth, it could provide an efficient method to help build permanent lunar bases using material already there, thus minimizing costs.

Space organizations will try to develop ways to utilize the moon's natural resources to increase sustainability while undertaking future lunar missions. Multiple missions have occurred this year with varying levels of success.

Two, by the Russian government and a Japanese private company, failed as each lander crashed on the surface. The Japanese attempt could have been the first-ever landing by a non-government entity.

Meanwhile, India became the fourth country to land an object on the moon in August, following Russia, the US, and China. While India's Vikram Lander failed to wake up after powering down on the surface, the mission's measurements confirmed sulfur in the lunar soil, which could expand future exploration efforts.

Within the next few years, NASA's Artemis program hopes to bring humans to the moon for the first time since the 1970s Apollo missions. Furthermore, NASA and China have plans for nuclear-powered moon bases before decade's end, and 3D printers could build homes on the lunar surface by 2040.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/100487-scientists-could-use-lasers-mirrors-melt-moon-surface.html

 

[VitalyT]

Will there be a toll bridge?

 

[Uncle Al]

Sounds like they are really jumping the gun ..... first we need structures to live in and a way to make, recycle air & water .... decades away and that's if we really push it .....

 

[RudyBob]

Look....no one is going to stop at that Dollar General without good access.

 

[captaincranky]

Methinks they'll have to build nuclear reactors there first to power the lasers.

Then, if there are people already living there, the issue of where to put the reactors will rapidly deteriorate into a "NIMBY" bullsh!t Moon Zoning Board stalemate.

"I don' want my children to glow in the dark", said the opponents of the project. "But we need the energy", said the moon real estate development authority. "How else can we make capital improvements, in order to jack up your taxes?".

 

[TomSEA]

As others have mentioned, this will be a long way off if it ever happens. Nevertheless, I have to give NASA researchers an "A" for innovation.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

Won't driving on the moon cause global warming though?

 

[Manu Arg]

Cool technology and idea, I really hope to live long enough to see a small laboratory running on the moon (or mars)

 

[ChrisH1]

"Whenever lunar rovers drive along the moon's surface or when spacecraft land and lift off, they kick up large amounts of dust. Due to the moon's feeble gravity, that dust remains in the air for far longer than it would on Earth, causing significant damage to landers and other equipment over time."

Air? What air? The air density on the moon is about 100 molecules per cubic centimeter, on Earth we would call this a vacuum. Dust particles should settle virtually instantly. Yes ,once kicked up they could settle into bearings etc, and precisely because of the lack of air the dust particles are sharp and jagged and so dangerous and the roads a good idea. But 'the dust remains in the air' doesn't fly.

 

[captaincranky]

As others have mentioned, this will be a long way off if it ever happens. Nevertheless, I have to give NASA researchers an "A" for innovation.

At this point in our technological and logistical capabilities, perhaps we should give them a, "VI", for "Vivid Imaginations".

 

[captaincranky]

But 'the dust remains in the air' doesn't fly.

Yes but, the gravitic acceleration is much slower than on earth. So, while you're absolutely correct that, "the dust remains in the air". is false, it's sink rate back to the surface will be much slower.

it's also true that on an earth without atmosphere the sink rate would be faster. A lead weight and a feather would fall at the same rate, but only in a vacuum

However, all of these calculations are way above my pay grade.

 

[Zsoltblabla]

First we actually need to get to the moon… apparently we done it some 50 years ago… who knows why are technology how is so bad that we cant do it again…

 

[kiwigraeme]

Won't driving on the moon cause global warming though?

Actually it can cool the earth - It is a proposed plan - Build an electric railgun gun - powered by solar powered

It fires moon dust into space - causing a dust cloud shielding the sunlight from earth

people who have been scammed and believe man made climate is not real - quote unnamed cycles

Well here's another cycle those ignorant people ( they never really do their own research - checking big oils BS )

large gas clouds in space - we are currently going through one - with another to soon follow after
These gas clouds help protect earth by extending the heliosphere - stopping high energy light

But deniers and those silly gullible people have no interest in science - just what feels rtight
See coin toss article - so many here saying that's not true - statistics are BS - doesn't feel right to me - mystical thinking

 

[captaincranky]

First we actually need to get to the moon… apparently we done it some 50 years ago… who knows why are technology how is so bad that we cant do it again…

Well, primarily inflation.

The money that was funneled into the Apollo missions would be staggering in today's dollars That, together with the fact that the mindset of the cold war, "we have to be first to the moon", no longer exists.

BTW, you really need to stop worrying about moon missions, and spend more time in English class.
Please proofread your post. I don't want you to maintain that I'm just being "cranky". Hint: "are" is a state of being verb, while "our" is a possessive pronoun.

 

[captaincranky]

Actually it can cool the earth - It is a proposed plan - Build an electric railgun gun - powered by solar powered

It fires moon dust into space - causing a dust cloud shielding the sunlight from earth

OK, I call total "bullsh!t" on this.! It sounds like something someone thought up while sitting in the bathroom of a community college.

Noon daylight is still 16,000 FC @5600 degrees kelvin, the same as it always was. The spectral distribution of daylight, is the same as it always was.

"Dimming the sun", would force every form of flora on the planet to readjust to having less light. Crop yields would likely be reduced.

Reducing CO2 emissions , and curtailing radiated heat, (IMHO), is the way "forward". (Well maybe that and seriously question whether or not we actually need eight billion of us to, "insure survival of the species").

 

[ChrisH1]

Yes but, the gravitic acceleration is much slower than on earth. So, while you're absolutely correct that, "the dust remains in the air". is false, it's sink rate back to the surface will be much slower.

it's also true that on an earth without atmosphere the sink rate would be faster. A lead weight and a feather would fall at the same rate, but only in a vacuum

However, all of these calculations are way above my pay grade.

As it's a vacuum, you are correct that the particles of dust will fall at the same rate as a rock. Now from elementary physics, s = ut + 1/2at^2 where u is the initial velocity, t is the time, a the acceleration (1/6th earths, or near enough 10m/sec squared divided by 6 = 1.666m/s squared).

Assuming the rover kicks up dust to a height of 2 meters and it rises till it stops, this means no initial speed so the first term drops out & we're left with 2m = 1/2 * 1.666 * t*t
or t*t = 2/(2 *1.666) or t*t = 1/1.6666 or t = sqrt(1.6666) or t = 1.3 seconds.

So, on the moon the dust kicked up to 2 meters high would settle out in less than 1 and a half seconds. This is certainly a lot more than the time it would take to settle out on earth *if* the earth had no air, but far, far less time that it would actually take on earth due to the air.

If it was kicked up to 2m, then the process of it rising to that height and coming to a stop would be the same just in reverse, so the total time from kicked up by the tires to settling would be around 2.6 seconds.

If the tires were a lot more active and threw the dust up to 10 meters into the air, the time would be sqrt(10/1.6666) = ~ 2.5 seconds up and the same down, or about 5 seconds total. Still not a lot.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

OK, I call total "bullsh!t" on this.! It sounds like something someone thought up while sitting in the bathroom of a community college.

Noon daylight is still 16,000 FC @5600 degrees kelvin, the same as it always was. The spectral distribution of daylight, is the same as it always was.

"Dimming the sun", would force every form of flora on the planet to readjust to having less light. Crop yields would likely be reduced.

Reducing CO2 emissions , and curtailing radiated heat, (IMHO), is the way "forward". (Well maybe that and seriously question whether or not we actually need eight billion of us to, "insure survival of the species").

The only way to stop CO2 emissions is to blow up the planet?

 

[captaincranky]

The only way to stop CO2 emissions is to blow up the planet?

I guess we'll have to wait until we see how far the war in the Ukraine escalates to prove or disprove your theory.

 

[kiwigraeme]

OK, I call total "bullsh!t" on this.! It sounds like something someone thought up while sitting in the bathroom of a community college.

Noon daylight is still 16,000 FC @5600 degrees kelvin, the same as it always was. The spectral distribution of daylight, is the same as it always was.

"Dimming the sun", would force every form of flora on the planet to readjust to having less light. Crop yields would likely be reduced.

Reducing CO2 emissions , and curtailing radiated heat, (IMHO), is the way "forward". (Well maybe that and seriously question whether or not we actually need eight billion of us to, "insure survival of the species").

It was in an article here on TS - not sure I saw it - didn't comment on that one - read about it elsewhere
It has problems for sure - hard to set up and do - plus You are stuffing around with peoples weather - winners and losers- The basic premise is very sound

So let me explain it 50 million tonnes of moon dust would interfere continuously with light hitting the earth - by absorbing , reflecting etc - next time you are in a clear pool - dive down and look forward - have someone throw some sand it - according to no real change in visibility should happen - 15 Million tonnes can spread out as a huge shader

But I posted because the person I commented on said it would cause warming- raising dust I assume ( the rockets to get here would )

Not sure many people on this site really love science -and just go with - that don't seem right to me - I love science much more than tech - Happy to be wrong and schooled .

We have solutions now today to stop most of the climate change

Scientists propose firing moon dust into space to solve climate crisis

The wild concept was put forward by a group of astrophysicists in a study published Wednesday in PLOS Climate. Benjamin Bromley, Sameer Khan, and Scott Kenyon theorized...

www.techspot.com

 

[captaincranky]

It has problems for sure - hard to set up and do - plus You are stuffing around with peoples weather - winners and losers- The basic premise is very sound

Well, technically, (ostensibly), it could be done. Whether it should be done, is another matter entirely

The whole concept triggered an association with England clearing coal dust out of their air, and now London no longer suffers from its famous, "pea soup fogs". Yes, I'm well aware that there is absolutely no correlation between that and moon dust orbiting in space. It just struck me as sort of whimsical.

The issue of global warming, it seems to me, is fatally intertwined with politics, anthropological concerns, belief systems, particularly those of denial, level of education, and "location, location, location" (with a wink and a nod to real estate dogma).

Anyway on the Rolling Stones album, "Beggar's Banquet", there's a song entitled, "Salt of the Earth". One line of which is, "let's drink to the two thousand million" We're talking circa 1965, and we're at about eight billion now.! I've said this many times before, that we're the first apex predator who actually preys on the planet itself.

Part of our "success", relates to the fact we're omnivores. So, we can survive eating 99% (give or take) of the other species on earth. But then again, so are raccoons, so there must be more to it than that

As an allegory to our current predicament I'd submit; somewhere in an observatory 40 years ago, an astronomer discovers a new comet. 30 years ago scientists calculated it's trajectory, theorizing, it could possibly come near earth, 20 years ago, scientists started to become alarmed about the very real possibility of it hitting us. However from 19 years 364 days to the day before it hit, the general populace would mostly be blissfully unaware that, "the end is upon us". After all, only grumpy, disheveled old men, down on their luck, would be carrying signs that sported such nonsense.

I realize this rant is more philosophical than scientific. However, given the grave meteorological dysfunctions of this past year, I believe we're already past the point of no return. Or at the very least, the glass is shockingly well past half empty.

I'm still sticking to my opinion that the only possible solution, is from the bottom up, (earth), and not from the top down, (moon dust).

Cheers.... Party like there's no tomorrow, (Hey, there may not be).

 

[Haakon K]

Sounds like they are really jumping the gun ..... first we need structures to live in and a way to make, recycle air & water .... decades away and that's if we really push it .....

From the article and video - this can be done beforehand, by machines, to have a better environment with less dustup from landings and moving about. It will probably take longlong time to do though...

Methinks they'll have to build nuclear reactors there first to power the lasers.

From the article: "The method involves mirrors and lens-like devices concentrating sunlight to melt the dust " - maybe that is plausible, maybe not. My guess is that they will roll out masses of solar panels and energy storage, before any nuclear. Except maybe very small ones, but still risky.

... will rapidly deteriorate into a "NIMBY" bullsh!t Moon Zoning Board stalemate.

There will surely be zoning issues soon enough when we start exploring and exploiting. Who owns what? And where do the waste go?

... taxes?".

There will probably be a long debate on how to tax Moon exploitation, as it should.

 

[FaTaL]

I bet if we move all the cow farms up to the moon. their farts will generate an atmosphere =D

 

[Lounds]

Western countries can't even make roads fit for purpose on earth, let alone the moon. I still don't believe humans have left the earth's orbit.

 

[Tantor]

Western countries can't even make roads fit for purpose on earth, let alone the moon. I still don't believe humans have left the earth's orbit.

I tend to agree. The moon landing is obviously bogus. Our county roads are terrible. We can't even make a decent high speed train system in this country. Our senile president has opened the borders to an 'unending stream' of non-Americans. The Russians are trouncing our expensive military equipment in the Ukraine. And the latest is that Huawei has bypassed Qualcomm.

It's time to step back and reflect on what it really means to be an American. Or a Westerner, for that matter.

 

[Srksi]

I think they will use those lasers to melt our brains first