From: utzoo!decvax!cca!AMSLER@SRI-AI@sri-unix
Newsgroups: net.space
Title: Mining by remotes
Article-I.D.: sri-unix.3276
Posted: Tue Sep 14 19:29:45 1982
Received: Thu Sep 16 01:14:45 1982

From: Robert Amsler 
It would seem that establishing a base on the moon would be
a likely alternative to trying to run a mining operation
from the Earth with remotes. While a technology to control
robots from Earth with the unavoidable time-delay for
relaying commands is possibly workable-- one based on the
moon itself wouldn't have that problem and a base could have
other uses as well. I would think a lunar base easier to set
up than an orbital station actually, all that nice rock to
work with. How would the finances work out? I.e. How would
the price of a lunar base compare to that of an orbital
station? Militarily, I'd even guess the lunar base to have a
better survivablity factor--that is until both we AND the
Russians have bases and were're worrying about defenses
against a lunar first strike. (sigh, some things will never
change I guess). Would a lunar ground-based laser defense
system have any problems? Could one be built strong enough
to attack/defend Earth-orbital satellites or stations.
Tunneling out the moon for nuclear reactors to power it one
might be able to build a fairly hefty zap?

Just think, our descendants could look up into the sky at
night and wonder what it was like when the moon wasn't
inhabited or fortified.
-------