Word: moone
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Valuable as the moon's vacuum may be, there are more palpable treasures. Some scientists, assuming that the moon was created when the earth was, some 4.5 billion years ago, calculate that about 10 trillion tons of meteors have fallen on the lunar surface. From their analysis of the composition of the relatively few meteors that reach the earth's surface (most are burned up by the atmosphere), they estimate that meteors have deposited 450 billion tons of iron, 30 billion tons of nickel, 10 billion tons of phosphorous, 9 billion tons of carbon, 6 billion tons of copper...
These vast resources are important not only for their potential use on earth, but also for their value in making a lunar colony self-sufficient. Although engineers hope eventually to reduce the cost of shipping payloads to the moon by using simple, unsophisticated boosters and flyable stages that can be returned to earth and used again, it now costs $22,187 per lb. with Saturn 5. The key to tapping lunar resources, Zwicky believes, is energy from the sun, which beats down directly on the moon's surface, unfiltered by atmosphere. Solar furnaces could be constructed, consisting of mirrors that...
...solar furnace on rocks containing calcium carbonate. The carbon dioxide would be released into the atmosphere of a covered garden to sustain green algae living in a tank of water. The rapidly reproducing algae would not only be an excellent source of protein for humans on the moon but would also produce vitally needed oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis...
Astronomer I. M. Levitt, director of the Pels Planetarium of Philadelphia's Franklin Institute, believes that colonizers of the moon will eventually produce their own water, a contained atmosphere, food and other necessities completely from lunar materials. He envisages vegetables grown from seed, rooted in tanks of water in which the necessary lunar minerals have been dissolved. His moon colonies, complete with farm animals and factories, launch pads and lunar surface vehicles, and the comforts of home, would be located underground?in sealed-off caves and domes?to protect inhabitants against meteors, solar radiation and the extremes of lunar temperatures...
...would the inhabitants want for luxuries. Levitt believes that virtually anything man?or woman?might desire can be produced on the moon by combining available minerals with a source of energy to produce chemical reactions. One of Levitt's chemical chains, beginning with carbon and calcium, can lead to the manufacture of medicines, plastics, dyes, food additives, rubber, ceramics, even fertilizers and textiles. "Naturally, we're going to insist that the girls go with us to the moon," grins Levitt, "and when we get there we'll be able to make all of their lipsticks, perfumes, nail polishes?you name...