According to the Daily Mail, NASA is mulling the idea of building a human-tended space station at the L2 point where the gravity of the Earth and the moon cancel one another out, behind the far side of the moon from Earth.
Why build a space station at L2?
The L2 point is relatively easy to get to as compared to the lunar surface, which would require a landing module, or Mars or an Earth approaching asteroid that would require months' long travel in space.
How would such a station facilitate lunar exploration?
A space station at L2 could be used by astronauts operate robots on the lunar surface, according to a story in Fox News. Such robots could be used to gather geological samples, especially at the lunar poles where ice has been discovered. Tele-operated robots could also be used to build infrastructure and gather useful materials for eventual human explorers on the moon. They could be used to build radio and optical telescopes on the lunar far side.
What about exploration further into the solar system?
Such a space station would provide a test bed for technology such as radiation shielding and life support systems that would be used for long duration space missions. Astronauts at the L2 space station would be days away, not months away, from Earth if there is a problem.
Eventually such a way station could be used as a fuel depot for space craft headed further into the solar system or even for space craft headed for the moon. A ship would launch from Earth and dock at the L2 space station. Fuel, refined from water on the lunar surface, would be stored at the space station for the ship to top off before proceeding to other destinations, such as an asteroid or Mars. Former NASA administrator Mike Griffin and Scott Pace, both aerospace advisors for the Mitt Romney for president campaign, wrote an article in Space News critiquing the fuel depot idea. Both do believe that a fuel depot supplied from lunar ice would make sense, because of the moon's lower gravity.
How would an L2 space station be built?
Modules for the space station, either based on hard skinned International Space Station Modules and/or with inflatable modules being developed by Bigelow Aerospace for a proposed private space station, would be lifted to L2 with the heavy lift space launch system, They would likely be assembled in low Earth orbit and then boosted to the L2 point, likely with an electric ion rocket tug. Astronauts would then visit the L2 space station periodically on an Orion Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle boosted by an SLS heavy lift rocket.
Mark R. Whittington is the author of Children of Apollo and The Last Moonwalker. He has written on space subjects for a variety of periodicals, including The Houston Chronicle, The Washington Post, USA Today, the L.A. Times, and The Weekly Standard.
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