– Vladislav Aleksandrovich, what, in your opinion, are the justifications for the need to create a residential base on the Moon?
– In the current situation of active struggle of the world powers for primacy in space, Russia should not remain on the sidelines. In addition to purely scientific interests related to the study of outer space, there is another reason why many states have turned their gaze to the moon – these are the minerals and modern technologies available on it, which will allow them to soon begin to develop these deposits. In particular, the United States does not hesitate to proclaim its priority in the development of minerals on the Moon. China, which does not agree with the US position, is also trying to build its own line by creating an International Lunar Research Station. It is not excluded that Russia will be present as a partner. But, in my opinion, the construction of the lunar station will accelerate significantly if it becomes a joint national multi-year program, for example, of the BRICS countries. In any case, it is necessary now to work out the concept of mastering our satellite.
– What will be the first steps in creating a lunar base?
– First of all, you need to create a lunar navigation system. Since the methods of global navigation used on Earth are not suitable for the Moon, it is necessary to create a so-called selenodetic coordinate system (SSC). It will make it possible to get by with a much smaller number of satellites and stations than, for example, the GLONASS system or the like. With its help, it is possible to land spacecraft on the lunar surface with great accuracy. Otherwise, you will have to take all the equipment delivered to the moon to the assembly point and spend a huge amount of resources on this.
– But on the “Luna-25”, which starts to Selena next year, it probably will not spread yet?
– No, but it is planned to start building the SSK with it. Because an optical beacon will be installed on this device, which will become the first reference point and a prototype, it will still need to be tested and calibrated.
– Will it turn out something similar to the Earth’s Greenwich Observatory, from which we measure longitude and latitude?
– In a way, so. It is planned that the Luna-25 lighthouse will become a semblance of a geodetic, or rather, a selenodetic reference point for the origin of coordinates. In the future, it will be necessary to increase the number of such objects in order to provide a better attachment to the lunar surface, and launch special “inspection” satellites. Further, it will already be possible to proceed to the construction of objects of the lunar base. But they should not be the first infrastructure facilities on the Moon, but a cosmodrome, because its construction should solve a very serious problem associated with protection from very aggressive lunar dust.
– I heard that she has the highest penetrating ability …
– Yes, and besides, it has very abrasive properties – each microscopic grain of sand has many sharp edges, since there is no saltation we are used to on the Moon, that is, the movement of surface masses under the influence of wind or water, as a result of which the grains of sand rub against each other and these edges are erased. Moon dust can seriously harm humans and disable equipment. Therefore, it is very important that, when landing on the lunar surface, the engines of the descent vehicles do not raise clouds of this dust.
– How can you avoid this?
– It is proposed to use additive technologies for this, in particular, solar 3D printers, which will melt the regolith, turning it into a monolithic and very strong surface. This will allow, in the long term, when carrying out manned flights, the cosmonauts to go to a fairly clean area.
– And again such a site will not be able to get dusty?
– Maybe, of course, but the amount of dust will not be the same. And the issue of cleaning equipment and spacesuits is still not fully resolved.
– Well, the next stage will be the construction of the structures themselves for the life of the first lunar shift workers?
– Yes. And the main building material for them will be the same regolith and bedrock lunar rock – basalt, since it is unreasonably expensive to import building materials from Earth. Due to the high strength of remelted basalt and low lunar gravity, it will be possible to build structures several hundred stories high. I note that due to the absence of the atmosphere on the Moon, it is necessary to build monolithic structures in order to ensure absolute gas tightness.
– What other conditions must be taken into account when building modules?
– Modules should be erected by robots, have all the necessary comfortable conditions for life, be as safe as possible, and their design should allow them to be replicated (to create similar ones) depending on current requirements. That is, the lunar base should be able to consistently grow as the number of inhabitants and requirements for the volume of scientific laboratories grows.
– But these will definitely not be multi-storey structures …
– Originally one-story, as building on the moon is very expensive. According to the currently most optimal preliminary design of the PLUS base (Permanent LUnar Station), which was developed by engineers, astronomers and architects from INASAN, MARHI, Moscow and Samara Polytechnic, NPO them. S.A. Lavochkin and IPKON RAS, the main blocks of the station will be hexagonal modules articulated with each other.
At the first stage, it is planned to create a base designed for permanent residence in comfortable (as far as possible for an extreme environment) conditions for 6-8 people with a possible expansion margin of up to 12-16 people. Then it is possible to expand them and increase the number of storeys. This, by the way, will also provide additional protection from radiation for the inhabitants of the lower floors.
– How will it be provided initially?
Due to the wide walls, which will reach a thickness of one meter, and additional protection. The upper floors will be a kind of pie made from melted and crushed basalt, on top of which special sintered blocks with a patented design can also be laid. This will allow you to quickly dismantle the upper layers of the slabs for the construction of new floors.
– Are you considering the creation of large settlements on the Moon?
– In the future, a megalopolis with a population of at least 1 million people will be able to accommodate on an area of several tens of square kilometers, but these are already very distant prospects. At the first stage of the exploration of the Moon, these will nevertheless be small settlements in which cosmonauts will work on a watch basis and solve scientific problems related to the conditions of human habitation on the Moon. Only after that it will be possible to move on to the industrial development of our satellite, and also to raise the question of life there for a longer time.
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