{"id":19382,"date":"2019-08-03T12:17:37","date_gmt":"2019-08-03T16:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19382"},"modified":"2019-08-03T12:17:37","modified_gmt":"2019-08-03T16:17:37","slug":"space-settlement-roundup-aug-3-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19382","title":{"rendered":"Space settlement roundup &#8211; Aug.3.2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images related to human expansion into the solar system:<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Purdue University unveils <a href=\"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/Initiatives\/Cislunar\">Cislunar Space Engineering Initiatives<\/a><\/strong> program:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><strong>Vision Statement <\/strong>The Purdue Engineering Initiative in Cislunar Space (Cislunar Initiative) will envision and enable the collaborative utilization of cislunar space to extend humanity\u2019s reach throughout the solar system.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><strong>Mission Statement<\/strong> Cislunar Initiative will provide national leadership in the development of cislunar space. Through a process of exploration and discovery, Cislunar Initiative will expand access to space, identify and utilize space resources, advance the development of space policy, and grow the cislunar economy.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ScJpaCZ_5j4?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Check out the program&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/Initiatives\/Cislunar\/objectives\">Objectives<\/a>, which include an &#8220;incubator program to provide seed funding for proposal development&#8221;, a Industry-University Consortium on Cislunar Development, and a Cislunar Education Program.<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>In Swiss <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spacecenter.ch\/igluna\/\">IGLUNA<\/a> program, student teams built &amp; demostrated prototype space habitats<\/strong> in a glacier near <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zermatt\">Zermatt<\/a> in the Swiss Alps:<\/p>\n<div class=\" vc_custom_1557926557775\">\n<div id=\"text-block-17\" class=\"mk-text-block \">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><em>In the first ESA_Lab@ project, student teams across Europe develop modular demonstrators that combined will set the foundation for a living in space.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Ideas of the everyday life find their way out into space and return solutions for a better living on Earth. Brick by brick these technologies will create the cornerstones for a community expanding into space.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>ESA_Lab@ with its network acts as coordinator providing the institutional link between all parties, system engineering, and IT infrastructure.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><em>Supervised and supported by their university the student teams<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>materialise their demonstrators<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>establish their local partner and sponsors network<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>interact with other teams<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"clearboth\">From Sept. 2018 to July 2019,\u00a0 20 student teams<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"mk-mini-callout \">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>&#8230; from 13 universities from 9 countries around Europe are collaborating in this project called \u201cIGLUNA \u2013 A Human Habitat in Ice: Demonstrating key enabling technologies for life support in frozen worlds\u201d;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mk-mini-callout \">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Each student team develops their contribution during two academic semesters starting in September 2018 until June 2019;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mk-mini-callout \">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>From 17 June to 3 July 2019, the students will test their modules in a field campaign in a glacier in Zermatt, Switzerland;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mk-mini-callout \">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The whole habitat which will be build inside the glacier cave in Zermatt will also be accessible for tourists and media;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mk-mini-callout \">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The Swiss Space Center coordinates the project and serves as a coordinator for the events and main systems engineering activities.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>An article about the EPFL (<span class=\"js-about-item-abstr\">\u00c9cole polytechnique f\u00e9d\u00e9rale de Lausanne<\/span>) team&#8217;s participation in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spacecenter.ch\/igluna\/\">IGLUNA<\/a> this year: <a href=\"https:\/\/actu.epfl.ch\/news\/lunar-mission-deep-in-zermatt-s-ice\/\">Lunar mission deep in Zermatt&#8217;s ice &#8211; EPFL<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>At EPFL, students from several schools have been busy working on the project since September. The team, led by architect and lecturer Pierre Zurbr\u00fcgg, built an igloo-like habitat 15 meters below the surface of the Klein Matterhorn glacier, which stands 3,883 meters above sea level. The structure, made from load-bearing and insulating materials, was designed and built by students from the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC) as part of the \u201cLiving on Mars\u201d teaching unit. \u201cWe had to factor in the practical constraints of the IGLUNA field site,\u201d explains Zurbr\u00fcgg. \u201cFor instance, we needed to be able to transport the materials, assemble the habitat quickly, and work in temperatures of -4\u00b0C. We opted for a brick structure that\u2019s relatively easy to assemble. It took just three days to build.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/o5dbXNJ0i_I?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Enormous caverns beneath the lunar surface<\/strong> could offer excellent sites for early settlements: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/moon-colonists-lunar-lava-tubes.html\">Living Underground on the Moon: How Lava Tubes Could Aid Lunar Colonization | Space.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Researchers have identified &#8220;pits&#8221; on the moon, which are likely lava-tube &#8220;skylights&#8221; \u2014 geological doorways to underground tunnels that were once filled with lava.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>If they do indeed provide access to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/41921-exploring-lava-tubes-for-moon-landings.html\" data-track-type=\"click\" data-index=\"5\" data-component=\"Inline links\" data-count=\"16\"><u>lava tubes<\/u><\/a>, skylights could be a game-changer for human lunar exploration, said NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green. Lava tubes are protected from the harsh environment of the lunar surface, which is bombarded by radiation and experiences temperature extremes. One lunar day lasts about 29 Earth days, meaning surface locations endure about two straight weeks of daylight followed by two weeks of darkness.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Special report <a href=\"https:\/\/spectrum.ieee.org\/static\/project-moon-base\">Project Moon Base<\/a> in IEEE Spectrum magazine<\/strong> includes numerous articles and infographics about &#8220;preparing to build the first permanent settlement in space&#8221;. For example,<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spectrum.ieee.org\/aerospace\/space-flight\/the-great-moon-rush\">The Great Moon Rush<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spectrum.ieee.org\/aerospace\/space-flight\/three-steps-to-a-moon-base\">Three Steps to a Moon Base &#8211; Infographic<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spectrum.ieee.org\/aerospace\/space-flight\/engineers-and-architects-are-already-designing-lunar-habitats\">Engineers and Architects Are Already Designing Lunar Habitats<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spectrum.ieee.org\/aerospace\/astrophysics\/rovers-will-unroll-a-telescope-on-the-moons-far-side\">Rovers Will Unroll a Telescope on the Moon\u2019s Far Side<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>** <strong>Water may be even more abundant on the Moon<\/strong> than previously indicated:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.leonarddavid.com\/earths-moon-research-points-to-more-water-ice-deposits\/\">Earth\u2019s Moon: Research Points to More Water Ice Deposits &#8211; Leonard David<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41561-019-0405-8\">Thick ice deposits in shallow simple craters on the Moon and Mercury | Nature Geoscience<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>From David:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The polar regions of Earth\u2019s Moon may contain significantly more water ice than previously thought, according to new research by space scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Shoring up this belief are two decades of observations from telescopes and spacecraft, not of the Moon, but the planet Mercury. What\u2019s been found are glacier-like water ice deposits near Mercury\u2019s poles.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Why, despite their similar surface conditions, does our Moon have so much less ice than Mercury?<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>\u201cThe simple answer is that the Moon has lots of ice \u2014 it\u2019s just buried below the surface,\u201d said David Paige, a UCLA professor of planetary science and a co-author of the study.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The study, published July 22 in Nature Geoscience, points to the existence of previously undetected thick ice deposits on the Moon. It was led by Lior Rubanenko, a UCLA graduate student.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>An outline of how to overcome the hurdles to settling the Moon<\/strong>: <a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-to-build-a-moon-base-120259\">How to build a moon base &#8211; The Conversation<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Ultimately we have the technology to make a lunar base viable, but no amount of innovation can completely negate the risks involved. Whether such a base goes ahead or not will depend on this calculation perhaps more than any other. The question is whether we as a society have the stomach for lunar settlement, as well as lunar lettuce, or not.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>A commercial lunar EVA suit may fill a major gap in NASA&#8217;s plans<\/strong> for returning astronauts to the Moon :<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.collinsaerospace.com\/en\/newsroom\/News\/2019\/07\/collins-ilc-dover-unveil-next-gen-space-suit-prototype-future-missions\">Collins Aerospace, ILC Dover unveil Next Generation Space Suit system prototype for future missions &#8211; Collins Aerospace<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2019\/7\/29\/8910216\/nasa-artemis-space-suit-moon-mission-collins-aerospace-ilc-dover-next-generation\">This company says it has a lunar space suit that will be ready for NASA\u2019s 2024 Moon mission &#8211; The Verge<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"sgTnil\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Collins Aerospace unveiled a prototype of the Next Generation Space Suit system which could be used for excursions on the surface of the Moon. On Thursday, July 25th, a model demonstrated the ease of walking in the suit by trotting around the lobby of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC and climbing up and down a few steps. The company claims that the suit is about half the weight of the original Apollo space suits. It\u2019s supposed to be much more flexible, too, capable of fitting a wide range of body types from small Moon walkers to those well over six feet tall.<\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"iKV2mG\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Collins Aerospace has a history of building space suits for NASA. The company collaborated with their longtime partner ILC Dover to build both the suits and attached life support systems currently used by astronauts on the International Space Station. Now the two companies want to show NASA that they have something the agency can use for their Moon-bound Artemis program, as well.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_19387\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19387\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.collinsaerospace.com\/en\/newsroom\/News\/2019\/07\/collins-ilc-dover-unveil-next-gen-space-suit-prototype-future-missions\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"19387\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=19387\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/spacesuit1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 8 Plus&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1564039700&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;3.99&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;40&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.05&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Next Generation Space Suit\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Next Generation Space Suit system prototype from Collins Aerospace.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/spacesuit1-1024x576.jpg\" class=\"size-large wp-image-19387\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/spacesuit1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Next Generation Space Suit\" width=\"520\" height=\"293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/spacesuit1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/spacesuit1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/spacesuit1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/spacesuit1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-19387\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Next Generation Space Suit system prototype from Collins Aerospace.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I&#8217;ll note that besides advanced space suits, there are many technologies (e.g. space tugs, fuel depots, in situ resource utilization systems, etc.)\u00a0 needed for space settlement that NASA has not developed due to so much of the agency&#8217;s funding being diverted to the unneeded SLS rocket and Orion capsule projects. There would have been just as many jobs created to bring these essential in-space infrastructure components into operation as were created by the SLS\/Orion jobs program but for a Congressional Swamp Kings a big boondoggle in-hand today is worth far more than dozens of small projects that will pay off richly in the future.<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Astrobotic &amp; CMU to develop MoonRanger, a 13 kilogram autonomous rover<\/strong> to make sophisticated measurements of the lunar surface on missions starting in 2021-2022 time frame: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.astrobotic.com\/2019\/7\/1\/astrobotic-awarded-5-6-million-nasa-contract-to-deliver-autonomous-moon-rover\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Astrobotic Awarded $5.6 Million NASA Contract to Deliver Autonomous Moon Rover &#8211; Astrobotic<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The MoonRanger rover enables a new paradigm of exploration autonomy pioneered by Professor Red Whittaker at Carnegie Mellon that is essential for exploring lunar pits, characterizing ice, investigating magnetic swirls, and deploying future mobile instruments on the lunar surface. Modest in size and mass, MoonRanger offers superb mobility at a light weight\u2014ultimately equating to a more affordable flight platform. The rover will be a test platform for autonomy that will usher in a new era of operability in space.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>\u201cMoonRanger offers a means to accomplish far-ranging science of significance, and will exhibit an enabling capability on missions to the Moon for NASA and the commercial sector. The autonomy techniques demonstrated by MoonRanger will enable new kinds exploration missions that will ultimately herald in a new era on the Moon,\u201d says Whittaker.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>\u201cThis latest NASA award to develop MoonRanger for a mission to the Moon is another example of how Astrobotic is the world leader in lunar logistics. Our lander and rover capabilities are designed to deliver our customers to the Moon and allow them to carry out meaningful, low-cost activities for science, exploration and commerce,\u201d says John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic. MoonRanger joins Polaris and CubeRover as an additional offering that extends Astrobotic\u2019s mobility as a service to customers across the world.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Mining of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/M-type_asteroid\">M-type<\/a> asteroid <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/16_Psyche\">16 Psyche<\/a> could drastically lower the cost of many precious metals<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/oilprice.com\/Energy\/Energy-General\/The-Golden-Asteroid-Worth-700-Quintillion.html\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Golden Asteroid That Could Make Everyone On Earth A Billionaire | OilPrice.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Whether it was the Big Bang, Midas or God himself, we don\u2019t really need to unlock the mystery of the origins of gold when we\u2019ve already identified an asteroid worth $700 quintillion in precious heavy metals.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>If anything launches this metals mining space race, it will be this asteroid&#8211;Psyche 16, taking up residence between Mars and Jupiter and carrying around enough heavy metals to net every single person on the planet close to a trillion dollars.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The massive quantities of gold, iron and nickel contained in this asteroid are mind-blowing. The discovery has been made. Now, it\u2019s a question of proving it up.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>As often pointed out in response to such articles, &#8220;massive quantities&#8221; going into the market would result in big drops in the prices of such metals. However, that is exactly the process that enriches our economies and raises our standard of living. The introduction of the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hall%E2%80%93H%C3%A9roult_process\">Hall\u2013H\u00e9roult process<\/a> in the 1800s, for example, converted aluminum from an expensive precious metal into a low cost material that <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hall%E2%80%93H%C3%A9roult_process#Economic_impact\">enabled innumerable technologies<\/a> such as airliners and rust free siding.<\/p>\n<p>It is important to remember than lowering the price of something is the same as giving out non-expiring gift cards that permanently discount the price of that thing.<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Spin tables to counteract zero gravity health effects<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colorado.edu\/today\/2019\/07\/02\/artificial-gravity-breaks-free-science-fiction\">Artificial gravity breaks free from science fiction &#8211; University of Colorado Boulder<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, spacecraft on long distance voyages and in-space habitats will rotate to provide &#8220;spin gravity&#8221; that will eliminate the bad effects of zero gravity. In the meantime, however, daily high-g sessions on a spin table or similar compact rotating system may be sufficient to maintain good health.<\/p>\n<p>This Colorado project investigated how to acclimate users to higher and higher spin rates without getting nauseous.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/G0AworhlfHU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The team began by recruiting a group of volunteers and tested them on the centrifuge across 10 sessions.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>But unlike most earlier studies, the CU Boulder researchers took things slow. They first spun their subjects at just one rotation per minute, and only increased the speed once each recruit was no longer experiencing the cross-coupled illusion.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>\u201cI present at a conference and everyone says, \u2018she\u2019s the one who spins people and makes them sick,\u2019\u201d Bretl said. \u201cBut we try to avoid instances of motion sickness because the whole point of our research is to make it tolerable.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The personalized approach worked. By the end of 10th session, the study subjects were all spinning comfortably, without feeling any illusion, at an average speed of about 17 rotations per minute. That\u2019s much faster than any previous research had been able to achieve. <a href=\"https:\/\/content.iospress.com\/articles\/journal-of-vestibular-research\/ves180656\">The group reported its results in June in the Journal of Vestibular Research<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Domes of silica aerogel could make for comfortable environments<\/strong> for Mars settlements: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seas.harvard.edu\/news\/2019\/07\/material-way-to-make-mars-habitable\">A material way to make Mars habitable | Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The researchers suggest that regions of the Martian surface could be made habitable with a material \u2014 silica aerogel \u2014 that mimics Earth\u2019s atmospheric greenhouse effect. Through modeling and experiments, the researchers show that a two to three-centimeter-thick shield of silica aerogel could transmit enough visible light for photosynthesis, block hazardous ultraviolet radiation, and raise temperatures underneath permanently above the melting point of water, all without the need for any internal heat source.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>More details in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41550-019-0813-0\">Enabling Martian habitability with silica aerogel via the solid-state greenhouse effect | Nature Astronomy<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>&#8230; Specifically, we demonstrate via experiments and modelling that under Martian environmental conditions, a 2\u20133\u2009cm-thick layer of silica aerogel will simultaneously transmit sufficient visible light for photosynthesis, block hazardous ultraviolet radiation and raise temperatures underneath it permanently to above the melting point of water, without the need for any internal heat source. Placing silica aerogel shields over sufficiently ice-rich regions of the Martian surface could therefore allow photosynthetic life to survive there with minimal subsequent intervention. This regional approach to making Mars habitable is much more achievable than global atmospheric modification. In addition, it can be developed systematically, starting from minimal resources, and can be further tested in extreme environments on Earth today.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">====<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1633885348\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1633885348&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=hobbyspace&amp;linkId=7ec96ebea81491302a758ed76d152d6a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Case for Space:<br \/>\nHow the Revolution in Spaceflight Opens Up<br \/>\na Future of Limitless Possibility<\/a><\/strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&amp;l=am2&amp;o=1&amp;a=1633885348\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe style=\"width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=tf_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=hobbyspace&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1633885348&amp;asins=1633885348&amp;linkId=dc008bd5d89e31bff68df4b9cbebab8a&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images related to human expansion into the solar system: ** Purdue University unveils Cislunar Space Engineering Initiatives program: Vision Statement The Purdue Engineering Initiative in Cislunar Space (Cislunar Initiative) will envision and enable the collaborative utilization of cislunar space to extend humanity\u2019s reach throughout the solar system. Mission &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19382\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Space settlement roundup &#8211; Aug.3.2019<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,17,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-in-space-infrastructure","category-living-in-space","category-space-settlement"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-52C","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":25516,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=25516","url_meta":{"origin":19382,"position":0},"title":"Commercial activity and opportunity in cislunar space &#8211; a report &#038; podcast","author":"TopSpacer","date":"December 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Cislunar Market Opportunities Report: In-Space Business within the Earth-Moon System was\u00a0 recently released by NewSpace Global. I was the primary analyst on the report, which surveys a wide array of commercial activities and opportunities within\u00a0 cislunar space, i.e. the region from low Earth orbit to the Moon, including the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;In Space Infrastructure&quot;","block_context":{"text":"In Space Infrastructure","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=15"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Screen-Shot-2022-10-05-at-1.27.32-PM-517x6701-1-386x500.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8344,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=8344","url_meta":{"origin":19382,"position":1},"title":"Ken Murphy: Cislunar films + Updating the Boy Scout Space Exploration merit badge","author":"TopSpacer","date":"July 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I mentioned Ken Murphy in the previous posting about the Moon Day event this Saturday in Dallas that he is helping to organize. Ken was interviewed on the Space Show recently :\u00a0Ken Murphy, Tuesday, 7-15-14 - Thespaceshow's Blog They talked about a number of topics, particularly\u00a0his extensive compilation of space\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Activism&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Activism","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7967,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=7967","url_meta":{"origin":19382,"position":2},"title":"A catalog of cislunar space films","author":"TopSpacer","date":"May 29, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Ken Murphy,\u00a0\u00a0President of\u00a0The Moon Society\u00a0and curator of the\u00a0Lunar Library, LLC, posts an extensive list of movies up through 2002 in which the plot involved some aspect of exploration and development of cislunar space region:\u00a0Cislunar cinema (part 1) - The Space Review. He says, \"Part 2 will look at the films\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Space Arts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Space Arts","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=20"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14018,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=14018","url_meta":{"origin":19382,"position":3},"title":"Video: TMRO Orbit 10.09 &#8211; An interview with Tory Bruno of ULA","author":"TopSpacer","date":"March 5, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The latest TMRO.tv\u00a0program includes an interview with the head of United Launch Alliance\u00a0(ULA), a Boeing Lockheed-Martin joint venture, about their plans for the development of a CisLunar economy:\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s about the people\u2026\u201d An interview with Tory Bruno of ULA - Orbit 10.09 - TMRO\u00a0- Tory Bruno the CEO of United Launch\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/UCAUyDNMoyc\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8008,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=8008","url_meta":{"origin":19382,"position":4},"title":"Misc: Lightsail update + A big rocky exoplanet + Latest Space Review","author":"TopSpacer","date":"June 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"An update on the Planetary Society's solar sail project: LightSail is happening, and I'll be your new guide - The Planetary Society === A new and odder than usual exoplanet: Astronomers have discovered a rocky planet that weighs 17 times as much as Earth and is more than twice as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Exoplanets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Exoplanets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=46"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8233,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=8233","url_meta":{"origin":19382,"position":5},"title":"To the Stars International Quarterly # 8 &#8211; July 2014","author":"TopSpacer","date":"July 2, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Check out the publication\u00a0To the Stars International Quarterly #8 (pdf) 2 Co-sponsoring Organizations NEWS SECTION pp. 3-106 3-24 Earth Orbit and Mission to Planet Earth 25-38 Cislunar Space and the Moon 39-40 Space Tourism (New Section, starting this issue) 41-62 Mars 63-70 Asteroids & Comets 71-87 Other Planets & their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Activism&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Activism","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19382"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19388,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19382\/revisions\/19388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}