We really need a moon base

It is time to stop the hypocrisies on this planet and pull all together rowing towards a common goal. We are wasting precious time to settle scores that are deep forgotten and only old haters ignorant haters can remember.

On this planet we spend so mush on military defense to protect against the very same people we buy fossil fuels. The US has oil companies dealing with Iran over oil wells, for example, yet they spend so many billions in building and maintaining an army for futile wars.

This civilization must depose the old warlords and start with a fresh new young generation of politicians that will modernize every continent. John Kennedy was a marvelous example of leadership with fresh ideas who helped America to go to the Moon. 

Yes, there was the cold war and yes, there was pressure among each military side, but mankind managed to reach another surface and safely land on it. We send astronauts and probes in space to build the path for a better future and we cannot continue to have so much disorder on Earth.

Our destination is the Moon because it is the closest celestial body we can physically land on it again, we already have a great knowledge of it, and we can have a huge return for our investments. It i already known how to approach the satellite and where to possibly build a base. NASA already had plans in the 60s to build a base in order to exploit all the natural resources and to send man on Mars. It is the best scenario we can have in an age where space travel has been nerfed due to war budgets eating away entire dreams, but also economic crisis that happens on purpose.

Humanity can reconcile by aiming higher this time ans by colonizing the Moon in order to achieve new technological breakthrough. New lightweight materials are already known to deliver and perform on a new scale compared to space travel thirty o forty years ago where sending a Moon-Rover was critical. New computer systems and other shortcuts will help us to achieve a long and awaited dream that humans hold in their hearts.

Japan is making good promises on space exploration by already sending a probe that uses solar sails to thrust itself in space. Here's another announcement that is a small slap at NASA's face (yet again lately), when Japan stated that by 2020 an automated Moon base will be built. No humans, just robots, the same robots they have been producing for the last fifty years that are far more advanced than the western "civilized" world.

source JAXA

In the picture above there's a computer rendering on how it should be, a fully automated base to better analyze our Moon. The Japanese space agency, JAXA, is planning this project with a $2.2 billion to invest on an audacious project that will push Japan's scientific knowledge ahead of other countries.

But what Japan is creating is something probably more real. It looks like they understood that sending an automated mission on the Moon is far less expensive than sending a human back again. It involves less risks and costs when dealing with astronauts that have to travel in space for many days. Food and drinks take space and more energy to maintain, that's also another set back that puts on hold many projects. 

Above is a NASA CGI interpretation of what a second approach to a Moon landing would be. Bigger pods than the one used in the 60s and 70s to land on and to stay in for as long as the mission requires it.

Here another NASA proposal for an inflatable lunar habitat. By having a 'soft' proposal for a first pod to lay on the Moon, lots of weight and fuel can be saved instead of having a steel and aluminum traditional concept.

The need of exploring the Moon surface is dictated by the need of having astronauts collecting and analyzing samples of rocks and sand. This will give the advantage of a possible mining operation that can grant a clean energy source called Helium 3, a non-radioactive isotope of the Helium gas. It will be an outstanding advancement building energy efficiency power plants here on Earth.

In this drawing an hypothetical Moon base is conceived with cylindrical pods being covered by lunar sand to shield them from the Sun radiations and from small meteorites that cannot be filtered due to a non-existent atmosphere around the celestial body. Fields of solar panels will grant the base a constant flux of energy to use.

Once a permanent and operational base has been built on the Moon we can have regular trips from there to Earth that will provide new materials to produce, also the very low gravity on the surface is a great advantage when smelting creating metals. The new materials produces on the Moon will have great and long lasting qualities, better than those produced back home.

Other option in building a base is the need for lunar architecture where bigger structure will be built. Scientists sustain that the best location to build an advanced construction is inside one of the thousand craters the Moon has. It will give the astronauts a much easier stage to start construction with the advantage to have some protection from the space environment thanks to the hole on the surface.

A dome of glass-like material will cover the hole where the base is located to allow sunlight through and protection from hazards like small meteorites and other space junk.

Eventually a further expansion on the surface of the Moon will grant the construction of other bases in other holes connected via a railing system. Some some domes will be dedicated to agriculture and will work like green houses. Food and oxygen will be created that is essential to a sustainable life cycle for the astronauts on the planet.

A great challenge is for those who will live on the Moon is the low gravity which can be a difficulty in the daily operation. Everyone will be required to train with exercises their bodies in order to avoid the decalcification of the bones due to a constant gravity that our planet grants us.
For maximum safety engineers also thought that building a base underground was another option to consider. But the problem of carrying heavy equipments on the surface of the Moon is still an obstacle that can cost a lot when dealing with payloads and funds.
It was thought that drilling the surface and placing a powerful charge would create an empty hole where to build the structure.

Why should we go back to the Moon?- Because enormous advantages will be received in the scientific, engineer, mineral and financial sector. By resuming the exploration and starting a colonization, humanity will benefit by having more knowledge and answers to space matter and everything we still question about the universe. Building structures on the lunar surface will be easier than here on Earth because of the low gravity. It will take less effort, energy and time to assemble pods and permanent bases. it's a full advantage.
Long experiments can be run on the astronauts to better understand if a micro-gravity environment is suitable for long period of time in space travel and on a further mission on the surface of Mars.
The disadvantages are mostly initial. The first structure to be built on the surface will be the hardest challenge because of the radiation risk that the crew is exposed from the Sun, and also  small falling objects that can damage the suits while working.
However, the positive outcomes will be long lasting for the many decades to come as a landing on the red planet will be facilitated with shorter trips and an a spaceship built on on the lunar environment that grants much higher quality in production standards. From the day we colonize the Moon other objectives will be easier to reach. Maybe from there astronauts can explore beyond Mars and set foot on Jupiter's moon Europa, which resembles our but richer in elements to explore.

Image sources: StupidBig, NASA and Wikipedia Foundation

Next generation display: OLED by Sony

Do you remember the 2000 movie Red Planet with Val Kilmer, Terence Stamp and Carrie Ann Moss? I mention this flick in particular because of a scene where there's featured a gadget that many think it's something awesome. The rollable map display that has the size of a small pencil case.

Red Planet, copyright Warner Bros.

On the top right corner you can read the computer logo of IBM, but who came close to manufacture something very similar is the Japanese Sony with the OLED rollable display.

It is a 4.1 inches display with a 1,000:1 contrast, a resolution of 432x240 pixels supporting 16m colors. Clearly it's a remarkable advance in this sector taking this field towards a new direction in building a totally new type of computers and electronic gadgets.

Source: SONY Corporation

It can be wrapped around with a radius of 4mm making it compact enough to be installed on something like a cellphone or a pocket notebook.

An object of these qualities surpasses the flexible displays that are now i commerce in Japan, in fact the rollable OLED is just a prototype that Sony unveiled. On May 27 2010 the Japanese company will present it at the SID (Society for Information Display) in Seattle, Washington.

But we the rollable display represent the second step ahead in technology compared to north America and Europe. Non flexible OLED screens are already part of the Japanese market with OLED televisions flat as much as 11mm that went for sale this year with quality picture better than current LCD or plasma screens already for sale.

Living a normal life as a cyborg

Disabilities are challenges that can become difficult when people do not understand. When someone is born without limbs or because of an accident he or she live continue to live with a part of their body missing, life can be complicated, especially for those who do not understand. Not everything is lost because science comes to the rescue of those in need. Since praying for a miracle won't cure your physical problems, technology is making huge steps towards replacing prosthetics with robotic limbs.

A cyborg is a cybernetic organism (i.e. an organism that has both artificial and natural systems)

The name cyborg was created in 1960 when  Manfred Clynes and Nathan Kline wrote an article on the advantages of the use in human-machine in space. Since then more science fiction was written and illustrated opening a new chapter in the human mind of how a possible future would see people have robotics components in attached to their bodies. It is not all science fiction though, the medical field is rich of artificial parts that are used o improve the patient's conditions with artificial bones or microchips inserted in the in the head to help people with ear loss.

Some people became quite famous for showing the world how their life changed. It looks like challenges are becoming less and less of a problem the further science helps doctors and those in need. Claudia Mitchell suffered a motorcycle accident in 2004 that cost her left arm, making her the first bionic woman. The artificial arm was created by the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

In the video Claudia Mitchell performs a series of tests moving objects of various size, weight and shape with an early prototype of the artificial limb.

The Scottish company Touch Bionics started its journey in Edinburgh where in the last twenty years their progress on artificial limbs has brought them to lead the way in the field. Below a series of images from their latest project the i-Limb Pulse.

This bionic arm can lift up to 200 lbs.

So far the development of artificial arms the most common for costs and practicality. Since an arm is much lighter to install, is will not be under constant pressure like our legs are on a daily basis, but researcher managed to develop lower artificial limbs that can replace those missing. The C-Leg is helping people live a normal life with a high-tech replacement that can assist the person's walking. Slow or fast doesn't matter as this marvel of technology made of titanium and carbon fibers is another landmark for scientists and a better life for those in need.

Cybernetic components aren't only those who are placed inside our bodies or are total replacement of missing body parts. Artificial body parts are also used in the military field to enhance the soldier's performance during conflicts or during normal operations. Exoskeletons are now a reality that will improve the daily operation when dealing with extra weight lifting or stressful combat situations. Lockheed Martin came up with a practical solution that can help anyone perform better their tasks.





Other exoskeletons will perform harder tasks lifting more and more weight or helping even those who are disable. Raytheon SARCO's experiment resulted in something quite amazing and compact that has the potential to become something we can all use on a daily basis.

The Daiwa House Industry Co. created a full robotic suit that looks like something from the movies and it's very close to be sold to the public. The company stated that the suit is useful to be used in the medical field for nursing, rehabilitation and in all those working places where heavy lifting is required. The suit is priced at 400.000 Yen, but it cab be purchased for 40.000 if a buyer can get a subsidy from the Japanese Federation of Organizations of the Disabled Persons in Tokyo.

A lightweight exoskeleton adapted for combat duties is a current project for the US Army.

Another exoskeleton, but more sophisticated has been called the Halo suit.

Japan and South Korea are ahead in the robotic research developing prototypes that simulates the human body.

How far are we from having a full cybernetic creature then if we can half human with artificial parts? Not too far. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making lots of progresses and software developers have, although fully independent creation like the one from the movie Terminator is not ready yet. One of the biggest challenge is having a power supply that won't affect the performance of the cyborg. There is the need of a small but long lasting battery that can supply power to the machine for a long period.
The iconic figure of Alex Murphy turned into Robocop is another example of cybernetic applications to enhance the biological body in performing tasks that the common human body cannot. Limits are set by the tolerances of our bones, muscles and flesh.

Last, but not least is Steve Austin the main character from the hit tv-show The Six Million Dollar Man played by Lee Major. It was a cult series from the late 70s where an experimental aircraft pilot for NASA would suffer a fatal crash while testing a prototype.

He is the most famous cyborg in popular culture known for his fast running, powerful throws and an eagle sight. From that success the Bionic Woman would follow other adventures of a female cyborg that together with Steve Austin would fight against villains. What was then sci-fi is now reality helping people live their lives better.