• Question: Can you live on the moon for more than a week ??

    Asked by ortensiakruger to Jack, Fiona, David, Dave, Chris on 24 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Jack Miller

      Jack Miller answered on 24 Jun 2013:


      Hi Ortensiakruger,

      If you took enough supplies with you, I’m sure the answer is yes!

      There are a huge number of challenges with living in space — everything from needing an alternative to nappies to generating enough power, oxygen and food to keep people alive. I really wish we as a planet would have another big push towards trying to do something like living on the moon — in the process of solving those problems, people often invent useful, practical things that benefit society.

      We went to the moon for a few days in total over the course of the Apollo programme. The computers that helped people do the maths then were much less advanced than your average microwave controller is at the moment, much less mobile phone or, god forbid, computer. I’m sure that (with a few billion pounds) we’d be able to spend some significant time on the moon — and hopefully avoid pesky problems like cancer, osteoporosis and cabin fever along the way.

      — Jack

    • Photo: Dave Farmer

      Dave Farmer answered on 24 Jun 2013:


      I’m with Jack on this,

      We went to the moon for the first time in 1969, over 40 years ago. It’s really depressing that we don’t have a moon base already when you think about it. As has been pointed out, there would be many challenges with living on the moon, but there were many obstacles with getting there in the first place and we overcame them. I’m sure if there was a desire then we would be able overcome the technical challenge and send people to live on the moon.

      I strongly believe that the minute we stop being curious about exploring the world around us we will lose something of what makes us human. It is our curiosity that has brought us this far as a species. So yes, I think that we could live on the moon for at least a week, and the fact that we haven’t already makes me sad.

      Dave

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