'Learn as you go'
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from July 1989.
Brought to you by
That's the guiding idea behind President George Bush's long-range space challenge to the nation. Of several options presented to the White House, the moon-then-Mars plan is the most expensive and complex. But, ultimately, it could be the most rewarding.
In contrast to the earlier Apollo moon missions, which Bush celebrated in his speech Thursday announcing the new initiative, the next approach calls for a permanent presence on the moon. Instead of visiting the lunar surface like Apollo tourists, Americans would establish a base with a full-time, long-term staff.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration strategy calls for frequent flights to the moon and construction there of living quarters, laboratories and power stations. The lunar soil would be mined to extract oxygen which then could be turned into rocket fuel.
For astronomers, the moon's surface would offer an observatory site that is unparalleled on Earth. The moon has no atmosphere to obscure the view of the universe, and it has only one-sixth the gravity of Earth, which means much larger reflector telescopes could be built.
For engineers, a moon base would be a laboratory for a voyage to Mars. The lunar center would enable the engineers to test concepts for building permanent quarters for humans in other worlds that have no air or water. For instance, a "closed loop" system, where oxygen and water is processed and used over and over, could be developed.
A lunar base also would enable engineers to use the moon as a starting point for a trip to Mars. Some experts have suggested that a Mars voyager could be built in lunar orbit, either from components built on the moon, or ferried there from Earth. Propellant for the craft could be processed from moon soil.
The vehicle could then start its trip to Mars by first firing out of lunar orbit, circling the Earth to pick up a boost from the planet's gravity, and then streaking outward on an eight-month excursion. Once in the vicinity of Mars, the craft could put equipment on the surface and then land personnel to build a base, using the lessons learned from the moon.
A base on Mars would be much more difficult than a lunar center. The red planet is blasted by massive storms in its unbreathable atmosphere of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argón and oxygen.
But Mars may have water, vital for human existence, and its surface may be more Earth-like than any of the other solar system planets. Another base could be built on Phobos, a moon of Mars, and soil there mined to produce oxygen and hydrogen, a combination that makes a powerful rocket propellant.
Such an enterprise would not be of limited duration, as was the Apollo adventure. It would be permanent, the first step toward humankind's colonizing the universe beyond the Earth.
The cost would be hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars, and it would create an industry employing hundreds of thousands of people on Earth, and scores on the moon and Mars.
Why do it? The only sure benefit is new knowledge. And experts believe that the effort would cause a great leap in technology, just as Apollo boosted technology in the 1960s.
Beyond that, there's national prestige. Somebody's going to do it, and the president wants it to be the United States.
Bush spoke with pride Thursday about the first footprint and the first flag on the moon being American.
He'd like the first words spoken on Mars to come from an American.
