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The idea is to accelerate the target to a speed of at least Mach 1.6 by using “terrestrial” energy – nuclear power plants, large amounts of explosives or something else. This would eliminate the use of a rocket’s first stage and the huge amount of fuel in it. After acceleration, the spacecraft, already in the thin stratosphere and at high altitude, turns on the thrusters and gets to space with minimal effort.
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According to Rob Meyerson, one of the founders of the startup and former president of Blue Origin, a special harvester is planned to be used for this purpose with the support of NASA, which will be delivered to the Moon by 2028 and put into operation by 2030.
Interlune said it has already managed to raise $15bn for the project. Helium-3 extracted from the Moon is expected to be used for quantum computing, medical imaging and possibly as fuel for fusion reactors.
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The need to build a railway on the Moon is dictated by two factors. The first is the long distances between target objects, such as mineral deposits or water ice. The Moon is very large to walk on it on foot, much less to transport any cargo, a special transport system is needed to explore it.
The second factor is more important. Due to the absence of atmosphere and moisture, dust on the Moon does not turn into dirt, the soil is not subject to erosion, so all the formed small grains of sand do not disappear anywhere. They are constantly present on the surface and have a mechanical effect on everything they come in contact with. Dust particles work as an abrasive material, accumulate static electricity and deform everything around them, causing even more fine particles to form.
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T Coronae Borealis is available for observation with strong binoculars now. Its brightness is about +10 magnitude, but will increase sharply to +2 at the time of the outburst. Flares occur regularly with a period of 80 years – they have been observed twice in recorded history. The last such outburst occurred in 1946. It is expected that the next burst of luminosity lasting several days will take place from March to September this year.
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Spanish company EOS-X Space promises to be the first to send tourists on a journey to the edge of the stratosphere in a giant hot air balloon. Similar projects were announced a few years ago, but the Spaniards claim that they have almost everything ready. It is reported that verification tests of the flight capsule will take place in the near future in co-operation with Spain’s National Institute of Aerospace Technology.
The EOS-X capsule is made of carbon fibre, it has panoramic glazing, there is a toilet and a bar on board. The flight can take one pilot and seven passengers, each paying 150-200 thousand euros for the trip. The flight starts at dawn, the ascent takes two hours, the capsule will drift at an altitude of 40 kilometres, followed by a smooth descent of 1 hour.
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