Long
ago, about 1992, the idea of adapting star wars technology for
civilian uses and other military uses was rather hot. Senator
Stevens of Alaska perhaps got the ball rolling for the navy’s
electro-magnetic cannon, and metalstorm produced e-mag pistols, yet
the smart electro-magnetic mass driver never, so far as I know,
developed; why not?
Electro-magnetic
accelerators moving solid objects with limits just relativistic could
accelerate space modules from earth at orbital escape velocity yet
there would need to be ways of dealing with atmospheric friction.
Mass drivers for the moon and low atmosphere content would
alternatively be quite practical. With Elon Musk, Space X and more
people able to work with electro-magnetic accelerators why hasn’t
that direction been followed with its ability to increase orbital
launches with no more than electric power?
One
of the prime values of a moon research base is a test
construction facility easily accessed from Earth and possible
use growing and packaging frozen foods to be flung to Mars and the
outer solar system to resupply astronauts. With water ice from comets
and underground farming chambers-perhaps using small yield nuclear
weapons to create vast chambers in some places besides the moon, the
solar power and fiber optics for bring sunlight underground could
become a productive activity. Plainly there would need to be no
change in the mass of the moon and material from the outer system
would need be relocated to the moon.
A
moon base gateway to the rest of the solar system would allow
space-only transport vessels to be constructed and moved from the
moon with low energy requirements compared to Earth. Practical human
use of planetary mass beyond Earth should involve most nations with
any ideas about making contributions in support of infrastructure
development for human ventures.
