Use of propellant from the moon in human exploration & development of space

Since 1972, our Moon has been visited only by robotic spacecraft. These visits have collected high-quality scientific data about the Moon's structure, composition, and resources. Neutron flux measurements have been interpreted to represent significant concentrations of water ice. Early estimates are that the Neutron Spectrometer (NS) results of Lunar Prospector translate into 3 billion metric tons of water ice at each pole. When processed, this water ice could provide water and breathing gas to future lunar colonies and produce propellants for lunar mission usage and other planetary expeditions. The potential reduction in lunar logistic requirements and the availability of propellant at the Moon hold promise of a more fruitful and economic return to the Moon and may also enable more economical piloted missions to Mars and more energetic robotic exploration of space. Exploitations of the resource trove of the Moon may well be the key to unlock our future in space and hasten the further commercialization of space. Through the use of indigenous lunar resources, we can construct habitable bases that can be mostly self-sufficient through the exploitation of solar energy systems that can lead to the unlimited electrical power systems the world needs to ensure future economic development without endangering our fragile environment. Our lunar bases can become a near-Earth testbed for developing and qualifying equipment, processes, and techniques for other more ambitious exploration programs. This paper outlines a program that could become the next "giant step for mankind." (C) 2000 W. Siegfried. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.