Re:Nasa head of human spaceflight resigns days before 'histo...
by emiliobumachar on Wednesday May 20, 2020 @01:27PM
(#23249458)
I'm reading gp's suggestion as a single base in a single pole, which always gets sunlight from one direction. Cabling can be very short.
Re:Nasa head of human spaceflight resigns days before 'histo...
by narag on Wednesday May 20, 2020 @01:57PM
(#23249811)
Yes, but even in a single pole cable would not be too short. After all we're considering bootstrapping, and moving tons of copper to the Moon doesn't sound cheap. I've heard there are points which the sunlight never reach, but not about permanent sunlight.
Re:Nasa head of human spaceflight resigns days before 'histo...
by emiliobumachar on Wednesday May 20, 2020 @02:12PM
(#23249969)
A quick search indicates that indeed there is no permanent sunlight, which, yes, invalidates the suggestion that just solar panels could be enough.
https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2018/02/03/comment...
"Due to the orientation of the moon’s spin axis, the sun skirts and circles around the polar horizon. On certain mountain peaks, or elevated crater rims, the sun shines 80 percent to 95 percent of the year, with short periods of darkness easily bridged by temporary power sources, such as fuel cells."
If long-term human occupancy of the moon became a thing, it would be interesting to see what sort of cultural changes occur in a population working on a 'two productive weeks; two rest weeks' schedule.