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...the team hopes to be able to identify a mineral called ilmenite - or iron titanium oxide - which has previously been found in lunar soil samples. "It has properties which would be useful in constructing a lunar base," Hapke told New Scientist.
It contains oxygen, which could be extracted for breathing, as well as hydrogen and helium absorbed from the solar wind. Heating the mineral would release the gases, which could then be used as a power source for the base, says Hapke. Iron in the mineral might eventually be used to produce construction materials, such as steel, for lunar buildings.
New Scientist [newscientistspace.com]
Looks like the long dreamt notion of a permanent base on the moon is getting that little bit closer to becoming reality. Wow!
I read this book called "This place has no atmosphere" like a 100 times. It was about a teenage girl that gets moved to the moon when her scientist parents volunteered to be among the first settlers at the first permanent moon base.
But, eventually I realized that I probably would never live to see the day that there would be a permanent moon base.
Reading that, all I can think is "Do you think that a moon base would need a good webmaster?" ;)
.mn?
you wait, give it five years and the registrars will be offering "exclusive" chances to register .mn domains
Sure, but they'll be able to telecommute, of course, so they can live anywhere :)
