What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Psalm 8:4
"The moon is at the same distance from the sun as earth, but lacks any atmosphere or water. Those and the absence of a magnetic field expose the moon to the onslaught of solar wind, cosmic rays and the untempered heat from the sun and the cold of space. Here are some of the factors that will make any long-term moon survivability challenging:
Because of the solar wind, a human outpost on the moon would probably have to be built underground, perhaps inside one of the lava tubes known to exist. And they would have to bring tons of earth habitat with them, even if it is granted that a few materials could be mined from the lunar surface. The only astronauts who have been there complained about the intense glare of the sun and the dust that got into everything. Because of the temperature extremes, they were only stay during brief hours of the lunar day when the temperature was tolerable." CEH
"The moon is at the same distance from the sun as earth, but lacks any atmosphere or water. Those and the absence of a magnetic field expose the moon to the onslaught of solar wind, cosmic rays and the untempered heat from the sun and the cold of space. Here are some of the factors that will make any long-term moon survivability challenging:
- Excessive heat in daylight, up to 212° F.
- Excessive cold at night, down to -280° F.
- Wild swings of 500 degrees between day and night.
- Exposure to cosmic rays.
- Exposure to the solar wind, impacting at high speed because of no magnetic field.
- No liquid water, although some ice might exist in shaded polar craters.
- No atmosphere.
- Lack of essential minerals and nutrients for life.
- Charged lunar dust that moves like bullets around the surface.
- Meteoritic dust, micrometeorides and large impactors moving at unmitigated speeds without an atmosphere.
Because of the solar wind, a human outpost on the moon would probably have to be built underground, perhaps inside one of the lava tubes known to exist. And they would have to bring tons of earth habitat with them, even if it is granted that a few materials could be mined from the lunar surface. The only astronauts who have been there complained about the intense glare of the sun and the dust that got into everything. Because of the temperature extremes, they were only stay during brief hours of the lunar day when the temperature was tolerable." CEH