Lunar Space Elevator

A space elevator will likely never be implemented in our lifetime on Earth. Space junk, material sciences, and general liability will all prohibit it from being a feasible system using any of the methods proposed thus far.

However, the space elevator is still incredibly viable in other locations. Small moons and large asteroids which have gravity but no atmosphere or space trash are ideal for space elevators. Since a space elevator can run off of electricity and is not limited by refueling or controlling explosions, it is far more reliable as a method of shipping items to and from orbit around a body.

The body most ideal for the first true space elevator will likely be the Moon. The Moon is a clean, fresh, low gravity environment which will undoubtedly be the base of most commercial mining and transport, due to its proximity to Earth and content of materials like Helium-3 and even water ice. The Moon will also possibly act as a spaceport to asteroid mining operations and even Mars colonization.

While rockets can be launched from the Moon easily they are still using consumable fuels. The need to use materials and weight to get something from the surface to orbit or vice versa is a waste. Rockets also break down easily, and are limited to a frequency of travel based on refueling operations and repairs. A space elevator has the potential to run off a clear view of the sun, is a simple machine compared to a rocket and is able to work 24-7 going up and down. Not to mention the fact that it is a fixed point of operations. It will always be in the same place ensuring there is no danger of missing a landing pad and hitting a habitat.

The construction of a space elevator is not as simple as just landing rockets however. The basic idea is to anchor a cable to the surface of the moon. That cable is then strung, from the surface, several thousand miles to a weight. This weight keeps the cable tight. It is similar to if you held a string with a ball on the end and then spun around. An elevator car can then run along the cable to and from orbit. All of this is possible with the materials available today. And while the set-up is risky and stringing several thousand miles of cable straight up from the Moon will be expensive, once established the elevator has little potential for problems afterward. And the cost to operate such a structure would be fixed over its lifetime just as the railroads are.

The economic benefits of a space elevator, once built on the Moon are enormous. Landing of scientific payloads would be faster and more reliable, since organizations would not have to develop landers, unless exploring other areas of the Moon. The elevator would allow for the creation of a space dock. This would be an area were spaceships would stop to unload and refuel while passengers and materials are moved to and from the Moon by the elevator.

Essentially the group that owns the elevator would own the only bridge to the Moon. It would be in the same situation as the early railroads. A colony would grow around it and all commerce would move through it. An important consideration when finding a location for such a structure.

As a business it could begin by simply offering transport to the surface at a reduced cost and increased reliability to building a lander. But as time goes on it could just be a toll elevator. A fixed cost transport one direction or the other, though seasonal costs will likely be a factor.

The business danger to this system is similar to the railroads. If it doesn't run there is still the fixed costs of  maintaining the system. Though we would hazard a guess that those costs would be minimal. Since the elevator comes into contact with nothing other than the vacuum of space environmental wear will be low. If used heavily enough it will require component maintenance but when that occurs the business will still be cash flow positive.

If the elevator were built tomorrow the real business challenge would be paying off the upfront construction cost in a timely manner while the industry catches up. Lunar mining will likely be the best solution since it can be performed autonomously and continuously. LiftPort is going this direction.

LiftPort is moving to build a lunar space elevator by 2020. The organization raised $100,000 on Kickstarter in 2014 to continue development of their design. They are intending to use a kevlar ribbon as the main cable of the elevator, which is the most vital and difficult component of the system. The elevator is meant cart lunar samples into orbit.

At this point LiftPort hasn't stated what the cost of construction would be. Though with possible launch costs and material cost it will undoubtedly be in the fractions of billions of dollars. If they succeed they will set a valuable precedent about the feasibility of the technology.

The space elevator continually appears in media as a technology to replace rockets on Earth. Unfortunately, there are just to many practical problems with such devices on our planet at this time. But space elevators are a very good idea in the correct areas. They are easy to operate, once built, and do replace rocket technologies with something more reliable. And while we have said many technologies will be valuable as businesses in the private space industry, lunar space elevators will likely be the most likely to succeed. Their superiority to conventional space transport is unrivaled from a technological and business standpoint. If a space elevator is built on the Moon those who own it will control much of the industry in that area. No one will swim a river when they can cross a bridge.

For more detailed information of space elevators see this NASA report on the technology:
The Space Elevator by Bradley Edwards Ph.D.

The Moon is the Best Start

Since having gone to the Moon, the public and the space community have begun to ignore it. Instead they have set their sites on the new frontier of Mars. And though the colonization of Mars is an important target, both from the perspective of human exploration and preservation, it is not a place where a return can be easily had from a business perspective. The facts that it is the most similar planet to Earth in the solar system, and some distance away, are its downfalls. A space economy will not need another Earth, we have plenty to go around as it is. The future space economy will need a place that can serve as an independent base, which has unique characteristics that make it more viable than the red rock of Mars or the cold metal of a space station. Such a place will be the Moon. The Moon holds far more advantages to the creation of the first economically thriving colony than any other potential location in the solar system. The Moon should be the colonization target of the private space industry.

The number one reason the Moon is the most ideal place to create a permanent settlement in space is its proximity to Earth. The Moon is only a few days away with 1960's spaceships. This allows the Moon to have a very flexible trade route and exchange with Earth. If there is a problem help can arrive in days. If a piece of equipment is needed, its only a phone call away. Mars, on the other hand, will take months to travel to, and currently requires relatively precise timing in order to make the trip as efficient as possible. If you miss a particular launch window one would have to wait several months before another would arrive. Plus its distance creates a time dilation in transmissions that makes that part of the process slow and inconvenient.

But the proximity to Earth doesn't just aide travel time. It also decreases the risk to the people that work on the Moon. Though the Moon has no atmosphere and is barren rock exposed to space, it is still semi-protected by the Earth's magnetic field. This field decreases the overall radiation that hits the Moon's surface, as well as the ships traveling to and from it. This protective force field disappears as a ship travels to Mars. Though radiation is still present in heightened quantities on the Moon, one will sustain far less exposure than during a six month trip to Mars.

A Lunar Spaceport

The Moon's desolation is also a very valuable resource. There is no drag from air to slow launches and a sixth the force of gravity. These characteristics make it relatively simple and efficient to move material to and from the Moon's surface. This allows  trade with passing ships and easy transport of cargo. These conditions also allow for launch technologies other than rockets. Rail guns and space elevators are very viable systems on the Moon. All of this can create a functioning spaceport. A place where ships can land, launch, resupply, and even be built. Such possibilities as these are not viable on Mars because its similarity to Earth creates the same complications for spacecraft we have on Earth. And again it is too far away to quickly and efficiently build what would be needed at first.

One the most valuable parts of the Moon is its physical resources. The regolith of the Moon can be turned into any number of construction materials. Concrete blocks, sintered beams, rail tracks, these are all items that can be made form the lunar dust. The Moon also has deposits of water. This allows the colony to support its inhabitants without constant resupply. Water allows for farming, showers, and the creation of rocket fuel. (a very useful thing in space) Any base built on the Moon, with sufficient power emplacements, can continually grow and manufacture from the resources available. And the base is able to get from the Earth whatever it can't make, since the Moon is close enough to have an Amazon account. The resources and the proximity of the Moon allow a lunar colony to not only sustain itself but also create a surplus that can be traded to other space-farers. Options such as space stations have no ability to grow past what is provided.

Lunar Habitat Made from Regolith

The Moon also has a special advantage over Mars or a space station as a tourist attraction. It's low gravity and epic landscapes create an experience that is unmatched. Any colony may be able to ease the financial burden by allowing "guests" to spend time there during a two week vacation. Again proximity to Earth lends a hand.

Any early lunar colony would also be a target for funding from any number of scientific fields. Astronomy, physics, biology. A colony with excess facilities would be able to lease out space to to astronomers looking for an unobstructed view of the stars and others like them. And since the Moon lends its materials to creating excess space, this option would be a low cost, high return proposition for an established colony. Mars doesn't have the view and space stations don't have the space.

Lastly, the Moon has something that can be utilized on Earth, this is a necessary characteristic for any early space economy. Just like the missions to the Americas by the Hudson Bay Company, they didn't pay for themselves with exploration, but with exploitation, the same idea must be adopted here. The Moon has minerals such as Helium-3. This isotope is an ideal fuel for fusion, once the process is perfected, but is practically non-existent on Earth. The Moon is full of the stuff, due to the solar radiation that hits its surface. This material and others like it would be the tradable good that can be brought back from the Moon and sold on the Earth. As far as we know, Mars has no unique or valuable resources to draw from with a potential financial return.

Overall, the Moon is just a more reliable place to create something that can actually have an economic presence. Its resources allow for surplus creation and tradable products. Its proximity to Earth allows for easy and quick transportation. Its gravity and lack of atmosphere allow for easy interaction with other facets of the space community. And its environment allows for recreational value as well as reduced health risks. Space Stations, Asteroids, and Mars do not have the combination of qualities required to serve as the first true human settlement focused on economic return. Though all will be needed and are necessary steps in the conquest of space. Anyone working to create the ideal spaceport, to be the center of the Space Economy, should set-up shop on the Moon.

Lunar Retirement Home

As people grow old they begin to become a bit decrepit. Normal everyday tasks can present dangers of heart attacks, strokes or a broken bone from a fall. The pull of gravity puts so much strain on the elderly that many lose almost all of their independence for fear of being killed by the pull of the Earth.

Fortunately, though we may not control gravity there are places, that will come within reach, where gravity is not such a predominant force. The the closest is the Moon.

So here is the opportunity. Within the next 50-100 years space entrepreneurs have the chance to create a retirement colony on the Moon.

On the lunar surface the gravity is 1/6 that of Earth. There would no longer be the danger of falls or strains on the hearts of the residents. They would be able to live independently, almost as they had before they aged, being able to do their own chores, walk, and even run.

Now the question is why is the Moon ideal for such a structure? Why not just put people into orbit in a large space station where there is zero gravity.

First, the change of going from gravity to zero gravity permanently, can be a large strain on such elderly bodies. The deterioration could be too extreme as the body adapts to the environment. There is also a learning curve for operating in zero-g. Floating and navigating in a weightless environment takes skills, reflexes, and coordination that the elderly may no longer have. The gravity of the moon doesn't require people to change their habits. They can still walk and run, it will simply be easier. The Moon is also within communications range of the Earth so the tenants can still remain in real-time contact with their families and friends.

The Moon will also offer the advantage of unlimited ways to spend time. Hikes, tours, sports and other activities the cannot be performed by the resident on Earth or by a space station in orbit are available on the Moon. What better place to retire than where there is always something to do and is continuously beautiful.

The last reason to use the Moon is that the retirement center can be made more cheaply and safely on the Moon than in orbit. This is due to the fact that the Moon will have a construction infrastructure that will be able to build and expand facilities using the materials on the Moon. So instead of having to launch everything, for the center, from Earth, as in the case of the space station, it can be manufactured on site. This infrastructure also makes the facility safer than any orbital facility could be. If a leak is sprung, the residents could be moved out into new spaces, that are constructed, or share with other colonists, in an emergency. A space station does not have this luxury of places to go.

Now for the dangers of such an endeavor. Space medicine is still unclear as to the complete affects of low gravity on the human body, and it is completely unknown what it will do to an elderly body. While the physical abilities will be improved internally we don't know what can happen. Low gravity can cause the bones to give off huge amounts of calcium into the body which form kidney stones and other ailments. Who knows what this type of thing would do to the elderly body.

There is also the question of transport. Launch and journey to the Moon can be relatively violent procedures that can put great stresses on the body. The only hope will be that conveyances like space elevators can become feasible in order to create a gentle journey.

Overall, the idea of a retirement community on the moon is one of the riskier endeavors to attempt with the technology we understand today. But it is feasible and potentially very lucrative with the advent of cheaper launches and bases on the Moon. While it is still decades away current doctors and engineers can work to create the medical needs for such a concept today.