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From: ems@amdahl.UUCP (ems)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Lunar Colony
Message-ID: <1228@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Mar-85 20:40:37 EST
Article-I.D.: amdahl.1228
Posted: Mon Mar  4 20:40:37 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 6-Mar-85 00:42:48 EST
References: <135@ISM780.UUCP>
Organization: Circle C Shellfish Ranch, Shores-of-the-Pacific, Ca
Lines: 48

> 
>  It seems like one of the first orders of business would be
> to start some type of farm, because food is high bulk, and people
> need a lot of it every day. Water and oxygen would be broken out
> of the rocks, and metals smelted using solar mirrors.
> 
> a lathe                 Food for ~1 year
> plastic monomers        solar mirror pieces (don't have to be very good)
> plastic tents           digging equipment (vacuum version of small cat)
> water                   fertilizers, seeds, farming tools
> electronic repair kit   medical equipment and drugs
> explosives              wire, lights, general electrical contractors stuff
> air renewer (and spares) pressure suits
> 
The first order of business is housing, second is air,
third is water, fourth is food.  Somewhat in parallel
with these comes the need for various tools.  As a decendant
of blacksmiths I have learned the traditions of tool making.
Forget draging the farmtools and small hand tools up with you
(after the first batch - and even they are optional).  A good
smith given reasonable ore and smelting facilities can make
an astounding number of tools. Drill bits are among the easier
things to make.  A lathe would be hard, but given time ...
(you see, first you make the anvil, hammer and tongs, then
the files, bits, punches and chisles.  Next come the pliers...)

(I can see it now:  'Neath the spreading antennae tree,
                          the village smithy ... '
Image of burly man sweating in space suite, pull back to show
craters and solar forge...)

Also, explosives can be made from plant and animal products.
Look into the technology of back-to-the-earth homesteads and
survivalists for some creative solutions.  Mostly what you
need is a way to make water, air, and soil (the hard part.
there is a lot of stuff in soil.)  rand keep it from
going away while you let controlled amounts of sunlight in.
The rest depends on the kind of lifestyle you want.  It
could range from early agricultural (add seeds) on up to
hightech (add hightech list of medicines and electronics).

E. Michael Smith  ...!{hplabs,ihnp4,amd,nsc}!amdahl!ems

Computo ergo sum

The opinions expressed by me are not representative of those of any
other person - natural, unnatural, or fictional - and only marginally
reflect my opinions as strained by the language.