At our current state of technology could we set up a self sustaining lifeboat colony on the moon if we had to?

Question

If life on earth was threatened for some reason (for example rapidly spreading deadly disease) could we throw a colony onto the moon that could survive indefinitelly without furthur support?

Answer 1

In a pinch....no. Consider that it will take at least 50 trips to finish the International Space Station. We don't have a vehicle to deliver all of the payload and personel necessary to pull this off on short notice. Given enough of a heads-up on an impending disaster, even with our current technology, creating a self-sustaining living environment would still be unlikely.

Answer 2

The engineering isn't all that difficult. materials that insulate and make the temperature differences maintainable already exist. Nasa does have a habit of developing newer and better materials all the time. so the mechanics are definitly attainable.
The International Space Stations is an example of living in extreme, maintained. It does require maintenance and replenishment, but it is surviving well.
It is likely that a Lunar station would require replenishment for a great deal of time, until food production could be tuned in. Hydroponics and Aeroponic gardening has developed considerably. Now a competing producer in many countries, provideng healthier crops that regular farming. This is attainable.
This gives us food and shelter. The big test will be power production, (likely solar panals), and the ability to process natural resources like minerals for building stuctures, and water for drinking, farming and cleaning. Certainly recycling will be required, but water will have to increase for process uses and increased population.
Once these problems are ironed out, the achievability of a Lunar station is good.
The only thing that concerns me is the traffic of our orbital space. It takes tremendous fuel. Even if we use the orbiting launch platform, the fuel has to arrive at the platform. I think it would be a good Idea to build this terminal for space trucking and test it before committing a group of scientists to the lunar surface. Attainable, Yes. Wise, soon, not just yet.
Let me add though, we do not have a history of living on the lunar surface. Earthquakes could damage or detroy if they are large enough. what tectonic or atomospheric challenges wait for us on the moon? No place in the galaxy will be without threats. We take a chance no matter where we go.

Answer 3

Not even close. We can't even do it on earth. Remember that giant glass building named Biosphere II? Granted that the group that built the silly thing was somewhat flaky, it was still an interesting experiment, very similar to what would be needed on the moon. But on earth, where it was easy and relatively cheap to build, and you don't have to worry about a deadly lunar vacuum and horrendous temperature differences on your materials, the experiment soon went sour.
The possibility of building anything that large on the moon is remote. Transporting the millions of gallons of water that the Biosphere II used would bankrupt the planet. Such a structure on the moon would require complicated heating and cooling machinery. Machinery generally has a limited life expectancy, so you would need a mountain of spares or an industrial base to maintain it.
No. If we get into that sort of predicament, we're toast.

Answer 4

No, we could not live self sustaining on the moon. We do not have an efficient enough energy process to be fully self sustaining. Even our most efficient, nuclear power, requires addition of nuclear matter to continue. This nuclear matter could not be found on the moon. Another option would be solar. But, since the moon has no atmosphere, it is constantly being bombarded by stellar objects. This would wreak havoc with any solar panel. And, solar panels are not cost effectively efficient yet. We would need to incorporate many self sustaining farming methods, which would also provide carbon dioxide cleansing with the plants. Also, would we have an unlimited resource of water on the moon?

Answer 5

I really don't think that is possible right now. We would have to take a lot of plants to create the oxygen for the people to breathe plus more plants for the people to eat. We would have to take soil for the plants to grow plus water and nutrients. If we grow plants without soil, we would still need a lot of water and nutrients. If we take enough plants, soil and water, we then have to deal with the waste. Between the waste created by the people and the waste from the plants we would have to take a wide variety of organisms to break down all that waste into nutrients. That will required more oxygen.

Getting past the food and air issue, we would still have other problems like what would people wear. Even if they brought along a lot of clothes, these would evenually wear out. Plus they would get dirty. So, we would have to bring water and detergent to clean the clothes. Eventually we would have to make more clothes. So, more plants and animals to make cloth.

Oddly enough, the one area where we probably won't have a problem is energy. We could take up solar panels to create electricity. With no clouds and lots of space, we could have plenty of energy.

So, I guess the answer is NO. With our present day technolgy, people could not live on the face of the moon for an extended period of time. We are still too dependent on the biological processes that we get for free here on earth.

Answer 6

No. However good out intentions, even a lifeboat colony would need raw materials to work with. Even the Earth shows us that it isn't possible. We are using the planets raw materials, and they are not being replaced. Even renewable energy takes its toll. Grow enough corn, and eventually, the soil will not have the nutrients to grow more. Nutrients would have to be added.

All is not lost, however, because I know a planet that could be terra-formed to what we need with a lot of effort. Its a strange planet with a hostile civilization, but it shows promise. Oddly enough,it is called Earth by the natives.

Answer 7

Actually I think that they have been planning this for sometime. I remember reading something during the Clinton administration to this effect. and not too long ago they were talking about doing this because of global warming. I believe you might even be able to google your thesis and find some interesting thoughts ont he idea.

Of course, you understand that we will not be going up there to survive anything. It will be strictly for the rich and famous, those that are the elitist and top of the food chain. Sorry to disappoint you, but the rest of us...well we will suffer it to be so.

Answer 8

No. There was an attempt to build one in america called "The Biosphere" from memory.
Any way it had to be evacuated after 2 years because they could not maintain a self sustainable system.
It is a LOT harder than it looks.

Answer 9

No. Not even close. No air or water means we need a sealed dome to live in. If we could do that then we could make a sealed dome on Earth and take refuge there.

Answer 10

seeing as how no human has ever REALLY stepped foot on the moon and we cant even build a self sustaining enviroment on earth i think its safe to say that building one on the moon is next to impossible.