NASA's Plan to Build A Telescope on the Moon

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Credits:
Writer/Narrator: Brian McManus
Writer: Josi Gold
Editor: Dylan Hennessy
Animator: Mike Ridolfi
Animator: Riley Brown
Animator: Eli Prenten
Modeling and Animations: Volodymyr Vustyansky
Sound: Graham Haerther
Thumbnail: Simon Buckmaster

Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
Thank you to AP Archive for access to their archival footage.

Thank you to my patreon supporters: Abdullah Alotaibi, Adam Flohr, Henning Basma, Hank Green, William Leu, Tristan Edwards, Ian Dundore, John & Becki Johnston. Nevin Spoljaric, Jason Clark, Thomas Barth, Johnny MacDonald, Stephen Foland, Alfred Holzheu, Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Binghaith, Brent Higgins, Dexter Appleberry, Alex Pavek, Marko Hirsch, Mikkel Johansen, Hibiyi Mori. Viktor Józsa, Ron Hochsprung

[stringsofconsciousness]

"Supporting a 200 kilogram telescope on the moon is equivalent to holding just about 320 kg on Earth" Am I stupid or does this sentence makes no sense?

[aeroalessandro]

I had the privilege of working on this at JPL with a tiny but dedicated team and you've done an incredible job of summarizing the project! Really glad that super cool proposals like LCRT are getting more attention thanks to your awesome work. We need public support to turn today's crazy ideas into tomorrow's missions!

[Merennulli]

I am amazed at how much CAD has changed. In the late 90s, after Hollywood had rendered graphics like those in The Matrix, I was learning AutoCAD commands and being told that was what the industry used. Now you can throw together a few variables to generate a gear automatically, the click on parts of it to refine it and send it to a printer within minutes.

[nickmudd]

Props to the camera crew that flys out there to the webb and gets all the B roll shots

[booth]

Currently reading the Expanse and when they were talking about the Moon they mention how a giant telescope was one of the first things built there, crazy to think we're kind of (yet again) following along with good sci-fi. Exciting times

[Turdfergusen]

Now we’re talking. This is a badass idea that is actually pretty feasible. Difficult but way more feasible than mars plans.

[StormsandSaugeye]

If I ever hear anything about this through the usual channels, I would happily sign on to be on the front end team for the telescope. It'd be a fun upgrade from the VLA where I currently work in the front end group and a fun alternative to the south pole telescope.

Also at 6:59 that's rob Long, my boss, and Craig, who retired in 2021 and whose position I took over.

Concerning the redshift of hydrogen line emission from the early universe, that's something I'm a part of the low band team on. One of the main authors of a few papers on this search have been studying the redshift values as well as the difficulties of eliminating foreground radiation to determine post ground state emission data. Which, if it does eventually pan out, can reveal the process of collapse and consolidation of the larger regions of hydrogen from the ground state relaxation period to the earliest stars.

Finally, I know those videos from the VLA all come from the nrao video about the VLA and is a few years old. But I love the use of that footage and seeing my coworkers on screen lol. Thanks for those little touches. The VLA is getting funded for the NgVLA which will be 246 different antennas stretched out over most of the southwest and I'm really excited to be a part of that.

[willwright]

Is it possible to do a mini series (or just a single video) about composites? The history, manufacturing, different methods, difference from yachts to space craft. Design requirements, resin chemistry etc. I find it all very interesting and I'm sure others would do too. Think you mentioned in your ocean gate video that you did composites for your degree/ masters so I'm sure you'll do great. Thanks!

[heroyt]

I am currently working on my final year thesis as graduate in physics. Your videos always inspire me. Thank you

[MasayaShida]

from crane and plane origamis to space exploration telescope origamis... humanity has come a long way

[_real_bruh]

Its fascinating how we went from calling ideas like this outrageous to actually considering them. Absolutely amazing

[maxk]

Great video! For anyone curious, you actually dont want a dish thats a half circle/sphere either (google spherical aberration).

The best shape, with minimal to no abberation, would be a hyperbolic curve, if not that then a parabolic curve, and if not that then comes spherical curve.

However, some amount and types of aberation can be corrected for by subsequent reflectors in the reciever and/or woth fancy signal processing.

[TheLookingOne]

If you're trying to get a handle on LCRT's improvement, based only on size (and not on lunar location),
"50 meters greater than Arecibo" means LCRT will have a 135% larger surface than Arecibo
(which is probably why RE didn't state this)

[Nick-rpjg]

The animations in this video are amazing

[Andlekin]

I grew up in the Virgin Islands, right next door to Puerto Rico. Watching Arecibo collapse was heart breaking...

[edgarwalk]

As a kid, I always imagined the crater would be coated with a reflective material, but on reflection, this looks more feasible.

[EvocativeKitsune]

I'm procrastinating finishing my thesis on mesh antenna force optimisation, and then I see the thumbnail. Love the video and the concept!

[jonathanluna]

I was already impressed with the idea of building a telescope in a crater on the far side of the moon. But when he said it was going to be done with robots, I was floored. Its already difficult enough trying to accomplish this with astronauts, but creating robots that can intricately and accurately build this telescope from earth is a level above hard mode.

[alejandrocapell]

Maybe there is an obvious reason why this isn't an option, but it seems to me like an Artemis Mission on a Lunar Starship might have an easier time with those tether cables. I didn't catch if he talked about mass estimates but even with a lander with equipment and then a crew with drills might be able to set it up in a week or two. Rather than the complicated launcher spider

[legion]

I've been to Arecibo while in operation. Very inspiring place. Gardens below are nice as well.
I'd love to see another one on the moon. It would be a learning place.