Moon rush: the launch of a lunar economy | FT Film

The rush back to the Moon has begun. The US and China are planning permanently crewed bases on the lunar surface. Billions of dollars in contracts are up for grabs as companies are launching ambitious new support projects, from growing food in space to a new lunar internet. The FT's Peggy Hollinger asks if the next great leap forward in space is a lunar economy?

Prodcued and edited by Tom Hannen

#space #moon #spaceexploration

00:00 What's the plan for the Moon?
00:59 Think space station, not lunar cities
02:54 Why is everyone going to the South Pole?
05:16 SpaceX's Starship - a game changer?
07:38 The peculiar lighting of the lunar South Pole
08:30 Communication and networking on the Moon
10:25 Nuclear power on the Moon
12:13 Regolith - a hazard and an opportunity
15:10 How to grow food on the Moon
16:53 Moon mining
18:35 Burials, artefacts and lunar hotels?
19:30 Beyond government funding
21:11 China's plans for the Moon
24:23 If it happens, will we trash the moon?
25:51 Will you go?
26:32 Cold hard facts

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[BigMacProDaddy]

“International Space Agencies have done a better job of keeping it together better than any geopolitical group” 🎉❤

[MasterOfYoda]

I remember living in the 90s and thinking why is this not happening. Thankfully several countries finally stepped up and started doing moon exploration.

[FinancialTimes]

This video has been amended to correct the name of the person speaking during the Apollo 11 landing clip.
In the previous version of this video, a name strap at 13'18 showed Neil Armstrong's name. It should have read "Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin".
We apologise for the error.

[KENZOkm]

Finally that For All Menkind future we've been looking for!

[vice.nor.virtue]

This was so well made!! It's so great to find out about all these new companies and not see any retreading of past info about going to the moon.

[MontréalinSpring]

Thanks for the positive future views. Life is short and we hope all the short time we speed on this planet encourages others to embellish the future of our children’s dreams to make equally positive dreams come true.

[thomashammel]

Bringing this down to Earth, what difficulties the Antartica pioneers faced are key to planning? Those stations can be compared to potential planning of Moon or Mars colonies. The logistics and costs, & budgets, of maintaining these outposts will be the primary focus & provide the planning benchmarks going forward. That will help more accurately provide insight of the overall cost of this venture.

[NightagainEngineering]

As an engineer the regolith will devour machinery (bearings/gears/motors). Solving this issue is crucial.

[jukio]

NASA would probably not even be interested in going back to the Moon if it wasn't for China wanting to go there. So, in a way I thank China for wanting to go there.

[chessdad]

Read about the problems caused by moon dust for the Apollo astronauts.

[mikewa]

Ai will so enhance the project management of this venture. Exponential improvement in space ship design and safety is just around the corner and can make this happen.

[captntrps]

What a mind-blowingly weird time to be alive! There's a chance we will have a ton of people living on the moon before we figure out how to make sure all the people on earth have shelter. It's like inventing aerosol deodorant before the wheel.

[misterguts]

Earth: "How well can you work with low pay?"
Moon: "How well can you work with no oxygen?"

[jlvandat]

Two elephants in the Moon Outpost Forum are (1) the certain physiological/psychological long term impacts of spending an extended period in a low gravity, very hostile environment and (2) the basic cost/benefit analysis of these extended missions which would certainly offer great entertainment and science opportunities but at a cost that cannot possibly justify the missions. IMO the only motivation that will actually allow the missions to succeed in a sustainable way are military-related. Seldom mentioned, the military aspect of a Lunar presence has considerable value, especially if adversaries are establishing bases there. This latter consideration requires some study to fully appreciate.

[manishtaker]

From India for humanity to the eternity ✌️✌️

[SingularityZro]

I assume a lunar Economy will be centered around heavy industry, and potentially kick off once we begin to construct giant, rotating orbital habitats. (Benefits: 1G, location, optimal weather, and nature 365 days / year, easy access / commute to deep space, and earth + heavy orbital industry as well.)
It might also be slower, but more practical to construct such habitats in earth orbit, and to transfer them to other planets and moons in the solar system, since that means you also have a big habitat, industrial capabilities and a self-sustaining environment direct in the orbit of such planet, which would make colonization, or further exploration much easier, and reduce a lot of risk. The back draw would likely be, that it takes 50 - 100 years longer since you need viable, large habitats of that scale first.

[arsm]

Please let me be alive to see a permanent Moon settlement :)

[LindaMadlala]

Wow, very surprising article by FT. Excellent presentation, every article is well researched and presented. Am very impressed 🇿🇦👌

[harryjones]

i think lunar mining will need something more substantial than BigTrak

[TraditionalAnglican]

Differences between the moon & Mars -
- Atmosphere (Mars has one)
- ISRU (can’t do Methane on the moon)
- Gravity (16% of earth’s vs. 37.6% of earth’s)
- Day length (14 days vs. 24.6 hours)
- Growing food (more can grow on Mars)
- Regolith (Lunar is really sharp, Martian is smother)
- Cosmic radiation (Lunar is same as that going to deep space, Mars is same as ISS even if unshielded).