Plenty of science fiction movies and novels over the years have explored the idea of life on other planets. Mars has always been seen as the planet that most resembles our own and could be a future planet for human inhabitants. But, the Moon should also be considered in this as well. The idea of living on the moon is something that has always seemed fantastical, but it is getting closer to being a reality.
Indeed, it seems that the idea of life on the Moon, and future generations living there is not quite as silly as it might first sound. The way Earth is headed, it might eventually become uninhabitable for future generations, and this is something that scientists have given a lot of thought to. If we can come up with a way of making the Moon as habitable as possible, this is going to really help with future developments. So, how realistic is it that we could be living on the moon in future generations?
XPrize Foundation
The XPrize Foundation had a meeting a few years back to discuss the idea of colonizing the Moon and making it liveable for humans. The goal was to explore low-cost options for building human settlements on the Moon. In fact, one of the reasons that we have failed to revisit the Moon as frequently as we should have is the cost involved. If this cost could be significantly reduced, living there in the future might be a viable option.
Why the Moon?
NASA has Mars as its focal point, rather than the Moon, and they are focused on getting humans to Mars by the time we hit 2030. Some scientists, such as NASA astrobiologist Chris McKay, believe that the Moon holds the key to Mars and that we must understand the Moon before we tackle the Red Planet. A lunar base would be a great idea to prepare us for what to expect when heading to Mars, a much longer and more in-depth journey.
Using robots
There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to trying to develop life on the Moon and using the technology and science around us is the perfect place to start. Robotic exploration is seen as one of the best places to start, and using Lunar Surface Mules is a wonderful way of kicking this off as effectively as possible. These robots would be able to set up solar panels, landing pads, and carry out plenty of other tasks on the surface of the Moon as well.
There are a lot of things that will need to happen before we are able to live on the Moon, but this is certainly something that is not a million miles away from being a possibility. The science and technology is there, and there are some who believe this could happen in the next 10-20 years. One thing is sure, once we are able to put life on the Moon, it will become much easier for us to transition to other planets, such as Mars.
