Freeluna.com is dedicated to the proposition that the colonization of outer space is critical for the long term survival of the human species, and that colonization of the moon and the exploitation of the moon's natural resources is one of the very best first steps in that incredible journey off planet.
Introducing Space Icons, a way for freeluna.com to acquire desperately needed funds and to give people realistic, space-related desktop icons for their computers. Space Icons started out as a development experiment for me using Visual C++. As I come up with more icons, I will update the Space Icons link and email new versions of space icons to those who register the product with me via email. Many of the pictures which are the basis for space icons are from various places across the web, so I am not charging for space icons directly; only soliciting donations to freeluna.com. Check them out. Play with them. If you like them, please donate.
I believe that the long-term survival of humanity depends on the colonization of space. Without it, nations will be forced to compete with each other on a planet with ever-diminishing resources and shrinking space. Given the level of our technologies for mass destruction and the relative ease of access to those technologies, this can only lead to disaster. If our dealings with North Korea and Al Queda have taught us anything, it is that (1) there are quite a few people in this world that have viewpoints that are positively alien to our own and that are positively hostile towards are way of life, and (2) that a small group of fanatics can easily disrupt world events if they are willing to do the unthinkable to accomplish their goals. This forces us to conclude that the survival of our civilization, even our species is less tenuous than we ever imagined, and therefore the need for space colonization is the more critical.
Many people have told me that space colonization is just wrong. I have been told that before mankind spends any more effort getting into space we must solve our problems at home. That our bad habits of destroying environments and fighting wars will carry out into space. That humanity needs to "learn it's lessons" here on earth before it is ever allowed to contaminate the rest of the cosmos. My response is as follows: First off, we are living in our own cradle, and there is only so many lessons we can learn within it. We can learn a lot more by climbing out of our cradle and being exposed to the universe beyond. In space, there is a opportunity to evolve physically and culturally in ways we can't even conceive. For instance, if you examine evolution, you will see that living thing's shapes and behaviors tend to be shaped by their environments. The environment of earth is a place of profound plenty in terms of the critical elements to our survival when compared to our local region of space. The tendency of this environment is such that lifeforms on this planet get to be successful by maximally exploiting the resources of this environment and crowding out other species. If we were to die out and rats were to take our place at the top of the evolutionary ladder, they would behave in exactly the same way humans have done -- by dominating all other species and covering the earth with rats. Just as the dinosaurs did before us.
The environment of space is completely different. Any planet within reach of our technology is profoundly barren in the stuff life needs to survive in comparison to the earth. There are no open lakes of water for us to drink or air to breath on Mars or the moon. Nor is there much Nitrogen for plants to turn into our protein. In order for humans to just survive, our thinking will have to change in profound ways. In space, we will have to take our environments with us. As we grow, we will need to scavange what meager resources exist to support life wherever we go. We will need to cherish the few resources we have. Recycling will be an imperative for our survival, not just a good idea. We will need to keep our environments healthy by carefully maintaining our own ecosystems. Instead of simply competing with other species, we will need to learn how to cooperate with them. This is what space has to offer humans. Alien environments to profoundly alter human thinking.
There is quite a bit of information on lunar colonization and
space colonization in general available on the web. If you
are just beginning to check out space colonization,
make sure you at least visit the links
page,
which covers many sites that will be helpful in getting you
started.
Meanwhile, here is a list of articles and sections currently
available on this site:
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This was my first piece I wrote about lunar colonization. It covers why the moon is a good first step in space colonization, the technologies involved in making a lunar colony successful, and some preliminary steps in making a lunar colony come to pass. |
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Space notes is a follow up to Welcome to Moonhab. It covers various ideas on what needs to happen to make space colonization a reality and some novel ideas on making space colonization more fun and interesting. |
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Freeluna.com is proud to present "Jerry Bull and the Space Rodent Rangers". This piece is intended for a younger audience, but contains nearly all of the information that can be found in "Welcome to Moonhab" and "Space Notes". |
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Given the current level of space transportation technology, no space colony will be economically feasible unless the colonists utilize in-situ resources for essentially all of their basic survival needs. Imports from earth will be prohibitively expensive, costing in the range of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars per kilogram in transporation costs alone. Consequently, to the space colonists, gold and water -- if imported from earth -- will not be so dissimilarly priced. The trick then is to quickly find ways to live off the land, however formidable and alien that land might be. Any colony that fails to succeed at this goal will just not survive. Therefore, the focus of my research is to find ways the bountiful resources of the moon that do exist can be utilized for a colony's survival. The particular 'bountiful resources' I have in mind are the finely powdered basalt that makes up a large fraction of the lunar regolith, the uninterrupted sunlight that pours down on the moon for 14 days at a time, and the hard vacuum of space. For now, I am only working with lunar soil simulant (MLS-1a), a large fresnel lense, and sunlight, but I'm also working on acquiring a vacuum chamber. |
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This piece covers why the economics of space flight are still prohibitive to the common man. Economies of scale and increased demand will bring down the cost of space travel, but "space" companies must find a way to engage the economic machinery to drive them to success. In this article I discuss a less direct path to get to space, but perhaps a more economically viable approach to achieving the final goal. |
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This is for other bits of fiction not covered by Jerry Bull and his friends. I hope to use the fiction page to showcase various lunar colonization ideas. |
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This is the links page that was mentioned earlier. If you're just starting to look into space colonization, make sure you browse these links. |
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Yep. Just thought I'ld ask for support. Keeping this website going and pursuing lunar research costs me dough that I gladly spend, although my bank has other ideas about what I should be doing with my money, like paying bills. If you find the information herein useful. Please feel free to donate to Freeluna and THANKS!! ahead of time. |
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Actually, it's my resume. It's always worthwhile to keep these things up to date! |
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Please check back from time to time and see how you like the site as it grows. If you have any suggestions for improvement, please let me know. I can always use constructive criticism.
Thanks for your patronage,
contact: Bill Clawson
A Proud Member of the
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