Space telescopes - like all telescopes and many other structures - like stable thermal environments and an unlimited viewing field. They also don't like dust. All this speaks against the Moon. Even LEO is better than the Moon. Go to an Lagrange point and you are done. Less delta v needed too.Analyst
...The International Space Telescope, a moon based, upgradable, modular Telescope on a par with the best here on Earth i.e with a really big mirror....Passenger travel; to Moon Orbit - Orion or Soyuz launched to Earth orbit on Soyuz rocket or commercial US rocket. In Earth orbit the EDS would be assembled with the passenger craft. (1 launch)Heavy lift launching of EDS - Ariane with 2 Shuttle derived reusable boosters. (may require 2 Ariane launches?)...All the major nations get to participate but they all depend on each other to make the project work. Such a new large telescope would have discoveries that would make Hubble's achievements look small. And all could claim credit for the new telescope's successes. ...
We had a lot of conversations about this topic over the years in the space-based astronomy sessions of the ASCE Space XX conferences. Space telescopes (like terrestrial telescopes) like a stable platform best of all, and the Moon is hard to beat. Dust is not an issue because there's no atmosphere to carry it. Horizon is not a big issue. Overall, the best place to put a space telescope is right on the Moon.
Quote from: daveklingler on 02/02/2010 07:14 amWe had a lot of conversations about this topic over the years in the space-based astronomy sessions of the ASCE Space XX conferences. Space telescopes (like terrestrial telescopes) like a stable platform best of all, and the Moon is hard to beat. Dust is not an issue because there's no atmosphere to carry it. Horizon is not a big issue. Overall, the best place to put a space telescope is right on the Moon.The atmosphere is dust. Solar radiation energizes and charges the surface, expelling Lunar dust. This dust either lingers until sunset or flows to the night side to settle. Like water on Earth, the Moon has a solar-created cycle of 'evaporation and condensation' that steadily covers everything.
No, the only way we are ever going to get off this rock in any meaningful way is to find a way to make rich people even richer. And by richer, I mean filthy stinking richer. And if it helps poor and middle class people too, then all the better. As long as the rich get richer!Show the rich people of the world how to make a few $billion in space, and you will see the checkbooks open up faster than NBC can fire a late-night show host!Mark S.(not rich at all)
Man is one of two animal species (the other is our primate relative the bonobo) known to engage in recreational copulation. Keep that in mind when considering what humanity really wants out of space exploration.
Hi allI think we have to go in a radically new direction in terms of outer space exploration. We need to have a practical use for Space, one with immediate demonstrable benefits for all the nations that would participate.With this in mind I present the following idea. I freely admit I am not a rocket scientist but maybe this will at least stimulate some discussion.The vision is - The International Space Telescope, a moon based, upgradable, modular Telescope on a par with the best here on Earth i.e with a really big mirror.Participating countries - USA, Russia, China (yes China), Australia, Canada, UK, EU, North Korea, South Korea, Iran