Experts and space exploration enthusiasts are asking a very important question: Mars or the Moon? Setting foot on the Red Planet for the first time is tempting, but humanity hasn't visited deep space in nearly half a century. Wouldn't it be logical to make up for lost time with a more permanent presence on our only natural satellite? The truth is that we already have the basic technology to install a small lunar base that could serve as a starting point for a self-sufficient colony… but it would require years of coordinated effort, and nobody is interested in funding a springboard to the universe…
However, the latest video from Kurzgesagt, which kicks off a new internal series called "Space Colonization", doesn't ignore the economic potential of a lunar base. In fact, it presents quite solid numbers: The initial cost would be between 20 and 40 billion dollars over ten years, equivalent to Germany's surplus in 2017. And from its creation, the base would pay for itself: Besides serving as a super laboratory for developing experiments that would be very difficult (or directly impossible) to carry out on Earth, we must also consider lunar mining. One of the fundamental pillars of that mining would be helium-3. For reference, helium-3 was priced at $1,500 per gram in 2006.
Phases of Lunar Colonization
The phases of lunar colonization are relatively similar to those that define colonization on Earth. The first one was already started with the Apollo missions: They proved that reaching the Moon, landing, and returning to Earth are possible. All subsequent programs have been tasked with studying the Moon in depth, analyzing terrain details and its composition. The second phase is… where we are stuck. It is estimated that the first lunar base will be small, with extreme efficiency. Its main spaces would consist of inflatable structures (something we have seen in the past), protected by natural shelters on the Moon that resist space bombardment.
Even so, the lunar base will have to be abandoned several times (solar panel power generation is one of the limitations) before becoming a permanent colony. Our first efforts will depend on scientists and engineers' ability to use available resources on the Moon, with special emphasis on water. Hydroponic farming and the extraction of hydrogen and oxygen guarantee the production of food and rocket fuel. Let's not forget that it is easier and cheaper to move material from the lunar surface to its orbit (compared to Earth), and that will become a kind of 'hinge' for the colony. With its self-sufficiency ensured, the lunar colony will open up a wide range of possibilities, with public and private projects alike, entire families living on the Moon, and why not, the first human born outside Earth.
