News of significant large water deposits at the poles of the Moon is giving rise to more serious scientific thought of "possible correlation between locations of polar water ice and lava tubes" for future human lunar habitats, says Andrew Daga.A noted lunar surface systems architect currently working on a NASA funded study, Daga says "ordinarily," [lava tubes and water deposits] are "counterintuitive, because most of the polar regions are highlands, and you typically see lava tubes in mare areas." The Moon's South Pole Aitkin Basin, however, "is an enormous and deep hole formed from a collision, and that sort of thing typically causes a lot of molten material to well up and form a lava plain."
Daga notes that there are possible significant cost reductions in a lunar lava tube human habitat -- "20% less expensive, depending on how many years you look out. Mix in the fact that you have nearby water, and that starts looking like a convergence of issues. It’s cheaper, it’s the place all the scientists want to go, you can stay there, it is where other countries will want to go."
Daga and others have studied utilization of lunar lava tubes for subsequent human habitats for more than a decade. There exisit ongoing studies including design plans, safety analysis, and academic papers. A recent YouTube video explains the extreme interest in the Moon's water-ice. Scientific confirmation of significant lunar water will drive public policy for a return to the Moon in the years to come. Daga's work, along with many others, will enable humanity to be ready.
See the reports from the blog Next Big Future, MSNBC, and SpaceRef.com. NASA will hold a media briefing at 2 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Sept. 24, to discuss new science data from the moon collected during national and international space missions. NASA Television and the agency's Web site will provide live coverage of the briefing from the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St. SW, in Washington
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