Questions tagged [the-moon]
Questions about Earth's Moon. Also for questions about spacecraft, manned missions, potential missions, etc. related to Earth's Moon.
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Why does Starship need to transfer crew to/from Orion to land humans on the moon?
In the new NASA Artemis program, Starship needs to transfer the crew to/from Orion.
Why is this even needed?
I thought that the Starship design allows it to travel directly from Earth to the Moon ...
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61 views
What's the lowest periapsis of a successful orbit around the Moon? [duplicate]
What's the lowest periapsis of a successful orbit around the Moon ever made by a moon-orbiting spacecraft?
Theoretically, Moon-orbiters can go as low as a foot above the surface due to the lack of an ...
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Is the telemetry from the Apollo Lunar rovers available?
Are there publicly-available datasets of the telemetry from the Apollo lunar rovers? Was rover telemetry even recorded during those missions?
If such datasets exist, I would love to retrieve the (...
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I want to go to the moon and then comeback to Earth [closed]
I want to design a mission for which I want to select some samples from the moon, I am new to Orbital mechanics so I need some guidance related to the Mission orbit access plan. How my spacecraft will ...
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If we could manipulate the orbits of bodies, how big of an object would be needed to impact Venus to create a moon?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant-impact_hypothesis
The Giant Impact hypothesis for our own Moon explains not only our Moon but how our molten mantle got "stirred" enough to create our ...
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4answers
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Has trebuchet-based materials transport on the Moon been researched before?
I am participating in a design competition based on lunar In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). A key component of this design is transporting regolith-mined water from a water extractor in a ...
4
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1answer
104 views
How does Lunar Gateway compare to ISS and MIR
Looked around for comparison pictures, but can't find anyone (yet), probably because lunar gateway design is not yet stable. Or is it? I found several different designs.
Do they exist "blueprint&...
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Did Chang'e-3 and/or Yutu report getting hit by the Earth's magnetotail?
@DavidHammen's answer to If a solar flare happened during a total lunar eclipse, would the Earth block the flare from hitting the moon? And for how long? describes the regular lashing of the Moon by ...
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1answer
165 views
How do they measure the voltage of the Moon?
@DavidHammen's answer to If a solar flare happened during a total lunar eclipse, would the Earth block the flare from hitting the moon? And for how long? describes the regular lashing of the Moon by ...
7
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1answer
633 views
Sending Mars rover to the Moon
What would happen if a Mars rover (let it be Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity or Perseverance) would be sent to the Moon instead of the Mars? Let's not deal with the landing and let's ...
4
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1answer
149 views
Lunar sample return cost per kg - Apollo vs Luna vs Chang'e
Lunar samples (rocks, soil etc.) were returned by US Apollo program, Russian Luna and Chinese Chang'e. How does the cost per kg of the samples compare among these missions? Who got it the cheapest per ...
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1answer
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What does the Moon's gravity feel like? If you don't move, could you still tell you're on the Moon?
I am interested in descriptions and discussion from the Apollo astronauts.
Almost all animals and many plants are sensitive to the earth's gravitational field. This is important for large mammals and ...
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1answer
61 views
How much of the total angular momentum of the Earth-Moon system is due to the Moon?
I've read that the total angular momentum of the Earth-Moon system is 3.41x10^41 g.cm^2/s (1). How much of that is due to the Moon? In other words, if the Moon ceased to exist and the Earth ...
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1answer
126 views
When they shoot lasers at the Moon for ranging, what is the shape of the beam?
Laser ranging of the Moon is usually done with a Q-switched pulsed laser fed into a big (1 or 2 meter diameter) telescope as a collimator in order to get a tight beam all the way to the Moon in hopes ...
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1answer
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What is this unlikely-looking contraption (“plutonium battery and scientific equipment”) they're making Jim Lovell cary around a parking lot?
The BBC's Did nuclear spy devices in the Himalayas trigger India floods contains the following image and caption.
Questions:
What scientific equipment and which plutonium battery is this?
Since this ...
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Has a satellite or spacraft orbiting the Moon or Mars been spotted from the surface of that body?
In reading this question (Lowest possible lunar orbit and has any spacecraft achieved it?), it prompts the question if any orbiting satellite/spacecraft around the Moon or Mars (the only heavenly ...
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3answers
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Could the Soviets have gotten to the moon using multiple Soyuz rockets?
Saturn V's payload was 140 tons, about 20 times that of Soyuz. The Soviets did not have a functioning rocket with similar characteristics. But couldn't they launch 20 Soyuz rockets, assemble the ...
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1answer
498 views
How radioactive is surface regolith on the Moon?
Use of regolith for shielding from cosmic radiation seems the most practical solution for perspective lunar surface bases.
But lunar regolith should gather some secondary radiation while being ...
10
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3answers
2k views
Lowest possible lunar orbit and has any spacecraft achieved it?
Because the Moon has no atmosphere a spacecraft can theoretically cruise at a very low orbit. What is the lowest possible lunar orbit and which spacecraft achieved it? Was it the Lunar Module of ...
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2answers
198 views
Can we engrave on the Moon by focusing laser from the Earth?
I would like to know if it is possible to make an engraving or burning moon's surface by focusing high energy laser beam from earth?
4
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1answer
152 views
Is it cheaper to build a habitat on the surface of the moon or dig a hole into the moon and build a habitat in there?
There was a space competition a while ago that had teams design the best habitat for either Mars or the Moon, and the winning design was a cone-like building using a large 3D printer. I saw it and ...
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1answer
225 views
How much will it cost MrBeast to send a HDD alongside the new moon rover?
I saw this mrbeast stream where you could send a pic to the moon and he promises that he has made arrangements with nasa that they (nasa) will pack it up with a new rover to the moon to be launched ...
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3answers
290 views
Bucket loop between Earth and Moon?
Please don't bite my head off. If this is so stupid that it deserves to be squashed, I'm quite happy to delete the question. I mainly would like to know whether anyone's ever suggested this (I ...
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1answer
122 views
When our Moon is hiding Mars, is it possible to create a radio communication between Earth and Mars?
According to this link
Mars is hiding behind the Moon ... It’s a twice-a-year occultation; like the eclipse
When such situations happen, can we communicate with the Mars rovers, and in the future - ...
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60 views
Would detonating a powerful nuke on the Moon really cause a Richter 7 moonquake? Do we know enough about the moon to predict this?
A recent episode of Kurzgesagt explores the consequences of exploding a hydrogen bomb on/near the surface of the moon. At 3:48 they consider the resulting moonquake, saying it's comparable to a ...
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82 views
How likely is it for Chang'e 5 to wake up after lunar night?
I have been wondering how likely it would be for the Chang'e 5 Probe to wake up. I mean the surveyors did this a few times, but were all relatively simpler in design.
Also what gets damaged in the ...
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2answers
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What is the altitude of a surface-synchronous orbit around the Moon?
A geostationary equatorial orbit (GEO) is a circular geosynchronous orbit in the plane of the Earth's equator with a radius of approximately 42,164 km (26,199 mi) (measured from the center of the ...
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54 views
Longest duration of a Moon orbiter?
From all the spacecraft that orbit or orbited the Moon, which one lasted the longest in lunar orbit?
By defunct spacecraft includes.
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4answers
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Could we send a projectile to the Moon with a cannon?
In Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon, the main characters set out to send a cannonball to the Moon with a massive cannon. The cannonball is then changed for a shell to take on passengers.
...
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2answers
135 views
Did an astronaut on the Moon ever fall on his back?
I am curious to know if an astronaut on the Moon ever fell backwards and landed on his back. I have seen many photographs and videos of astronauts who accidentally tripped or lost their balance and ...
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1answer
111 views
Did USA share Moon rocks with other countries on a permanent basis?
USA got some 400 kg of Moon rocks with Apollo program.
Did they share rocks with other countries in form of permanent gifts?
If yes, then which countries got such gift, and what information about ...
2
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1answer
79 views
What will happen to Chang’e 5 orbiter?
What will happen to the Chang’e 5 orbiter which will return the collected samples to earth? Will it burn up in the atmosphere like Hayabusa, or is an extented mission planned?
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1answer
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What is the danger of creating micrometeorite clouds orbiting the Moon by constantly landing spacecrafts on its surface?
It is a well-known fact that when meteorite hits surface of the Moon, a part of debris can end up on Earth because the escape velocity for Moon is low - 2.38km/s. A similar effect can be achieved by ...
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1answer
131 views
Geolocalizing photographs on astronomical bodies
In Are pictures taken from ISS geolocalized? I was considering photos taken on the Moon by astronauts. How can I determine a photographer's position and lens direction?
And further, since there isn't ...
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Building a moon base - cost, weight, and rocket to send pressure vessel
I am trying to validate the following hypothesis in order to simulate the building of a base on the moon (I am starting a video game project ) , I am asking with current technology:
What would be the ...
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1answer
74 views
What are ALL the characteristics for for human habitability of worlds?
We've got a good head start at our original table here, but is there anything else we need or have missed that impact on human habitability of worlds? It's helpful to compare and contrast places in ...
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If the ISS went to the moon, what would fail first
If the ISS was propelled into an orbit (any orbit) around the moon, what would fail first?
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1answer
150 views
(U.S.) What paperwork do civilians need to send items into orbit or beyond?
Are civilians allowed to send objects into orbit, or even leave orbit, like send something to the moon or deep-space? If they can what kind of paperwork/waivers/licenses etc. need to be obtained ...
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What is the EXACT time that the sun will rise, at the Apollo 11 landing site, in Feb 2173
So this was only supposed to be a fun little easter egg in my sci-fi novel for any eagle-eyed reader who decided to run the numbers, but I've driven myself quite literally - to distraction for the ...
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1answer
1k views
Who proposed detonating gunpowder on the moon to prove a rocket reached it?
I remember reading a about some rocket pioneer who had proposed that if a rocket were launched to the moon, one way to prove that it had reached the moon would be to detonate a large quantity of ...
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4answers
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Payload capacity of a rocket
Why does a rocket have far more payload capacity when placing an object in LEO compared to when it's placing the object in farther orbits, like on the Moon? If a rocket has sufficient thrust to take ...
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1answer
74 views
Legality of nuclear debris field on the Moon?
A while ago, I asked about what happens to a nuclear engine that gets smashed into the Moon. While not conclusively answered, it's likely that the contaminated area is of significant size.
But what ...
asked Nov 6 '20 at 19:56
SE - stop firing the good guys
28.7k2 gold badges96 silver badges170 bronze badges
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1answer
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Collect Helium-3 in the space (not surfaces)
Well my question is simple i guess, just i want know, is possible obtain helium only from the space? for example, just collect it with a special chamber? maybe this is stupid, but is this possible? or ...
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1answer
682 views
Astronauts of Apollo 11 facing extreme temperatures
I recently read that temperatures on the moon can vary from -100 °C in the shade to 100 °C in the sunny part.
How did astronaut suits cope with these extreme temperatures? Is the same technology used ...
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2answers
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Land a cubesat on the moon with ion engine
Say I have a 3U cubesat with a BIT-3 ion thruster, an iodine tank and landing legs. Can it land on the Moon with just an ion thruster?
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Full lunar mineralization/ore map
This is really quick I'm searching for a full complete ore map of the moon, I found this:
But, as you can see, is impossible read.
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2answers
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Why it's news that SOFIA found water when it's already been found?
Back in 2008, India proved water on moon.
India's ISRO spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 released the Moon Impact Probe
(MIP) that impacted Shackleton Crater, of the lunar south pole, at
20:31 on 14 November ...
3
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2answers
220 views
Lunar landing in cotton candy?
When spacecraft land on Earth, they use the atmosphere to slow down.
On the Moon there's no atmosphere, so spacecraft must instead use rockets to slow down from orbital velocity.
Would it be possible ...
asked Oct 24 '20 at 14:43
SE - stop firing the good guys
28.7k2 gold badges96 silver badges170 bronze badges
2
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0answers
56 views
What are the nuclear energy challenges specific to the moon?
What are moon specific hurdles to a fission reactor?
low gravity
no atmosphere
Apparently it's more difficult to shed heat in a vacuum. Are some coolants more advantageous on the moon than others?
...
3
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1answer
359 views
Microwave drive for cubesats
Theory: how is this?
I was doing a lot of research about the EmDrive thruster, i find 50% papers says that it work and other 50% saying that the "thrust" is a product of the interaction with ...
