Dark Side of the Moon
Dark Side of the Moon
Dark Side of the Moon
Dark Side of the Moon
Uncovering
the mysteries of our moon
FUTURE - Sustainability
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Fission would most likely be able to fill most of the need for power on the moon. The containment structures for the fission reactor can be built on the moon using materials from the lunar surface. However the radioactive materials and reactors will need to be transported from Earth to the Moon, until alternative radioactive materials are found on the moon to fuel the nuclear fission reactions.
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“RTG (radioisotope thermoelectric generator) generates consistent power for over 20 years, but it does not produce enough electricity to power a colony by itself.” Both RTG and fission technologies need to be modified for use on the Moon, like underground reactors built up around it to protect the colony and astronauts from the additional radiation (there will already be a lot of radiation on the surface coming from the Sun). All reactors and radioactive materials would need to be transported to the Moon; this would be heavy and expensive at first, but a nuclear fission power station would produce lots of power day and night. As opposed to using only Solar Energy which would only produce energy during the day.
Solar Energy
There are no clouds on the Moon to lock in the Sun’s rays. In fact, because the Moon does not have an atmosphere, the Sun’s radiation comes down in full force. However, the Moon does have approximately 14 days of night. That is a big problem. Many batteries would need to be periodically launched up to the Moon to keep a fresh supply. The NASA study of lunar base sites found “Fortunately however at the south pole, there are some areas that receive sunlight almost 90 percent of the time. These would be good locations for solar power arrays to power a lunar outpost.”
If solar were to be used for large power needs, huge solar arrays would be needed. Photovoltaic (PV) cells are expensive and can be very heavy because we have to launch so many. The astronauts will require a great deal of constant and reliable power for habitats and machinery. Luckily, the Moon’s surface soil has the materials that are needed to make solar cells. That means that eventually, the PV cells could actually be made on the Moon from the soil, instead being launched up. Once the costs of transport from Earth are eliminated by using lunar materials, an almost limitless supply of solar power could be produced using lunar materials. The power could be beamed by microwaves to rovers and other parts of the Moon and into space.
Chemical Energy
Oxygen is required in order to produce power via combustion. There is no air on the Moon, however the surface has oxygen trapped within rocks. Researchers and Scientists could possibly find a way to break down the molecular bonds and release the oxygen. However, this process would be very inefficient and only a finite source of oxygen will be present within the rocks.
Batteries can also be used to store other forms of energy such as solar. The batteries can harness energy during the day and use the stored energy during the lunar night (14 days).