Chat Room Transcript - Chat Session, April 3, 2008 @ 5:00 pm

> Hello, Hao!

<Hao P.> Hey!
> Your our first student to join the session!

<Hao P.> Hows every1 doing?

<John Gruener> Howdy Hao

<John Gruener> well, so far you are the 1

<Hao P.> Hello Mr. Gruener

<Hao P.> haha i feel special
> Hao, can you reenter the room and type in your first and last name,
   please?

<Hao P.> k
> Thanks :)

<Hao Pan> alright np
> John, do you want to talk about what you do?

<Hao Pan> I didnt come too early did i?

<John Gruener> I work in the Lunar Surface Systems Project Office,
   mostly from a science perspective.
> You are not early - this session is from 5 - 6.

<Hao Pan> Oh okay

<John Gruener> That is, making sure all of the systems being
   thoughts of for the moon turn out to be user friendly for scientists

<John Gruener> I'll warn you now my typing is slow and not accurate

<John Gruener> Hao, what are you thinking about for college?

<Hao Pan> So u work with astronaut specialists? like the ones that
   conduct the experiments on the moon? and dont worry about the
   typing, haha its no problem

<John Gruener> Yep, we have several astronauts working on the
   future lunar programs, also design engineers.

<Hao Pan> well, i wanna become a pilot so im looking @
   colleges/universities that offer aerospace/aeronautical engineering,
   like USAFA and FL. tech.
> Do you have a specific goal in mind?  Shuttle commander?

<Hao Pan> Umm sorry, stupid internet, did i miss anything?
   accidentally logged off

<John Gruener> Basically, the science community are users that want
   to do something on the moon. Astronauts are operators who
   actually do the stuff for the scientists.

<Hao Pan> Okay so the astronauts are the muscles and the science
   community is the brain
> John, are you working on a specific project right now?

<John Gruener> My BS was in aero engineering at UT. They have
   ROTC as well.

<Hao Pan> Oh really?? im kinda interested in UT's aerospace
   program, how was it?

<Hao Pan> and as 2 ms. kamas question earlier, yes shuttle
   commander is my ultimate goal

<John Gruener> Well, the astronauts are pretty smart people. I think
   of them as Swiss army knifes. Able to do many things well.

<John Gruener> UT is great. They are really trying to make your
   education hands on, so you get to build satellites, unamnned aerial
   vehicles and such.

<Hao Pan> oh wow, thats awesome

<Hao Pan> is there internship offered at ut's aerospace program

<John Gruener> My job right now is transferring 'what' scientists
   want to do on the moon to 'how' those operations might happen with
   real systems such as roving vehicles, habitats, etc.

<John Gruener> UT has lots of internships with companies and
   government agencies. NASA has a co-op program that works with
   UT and other engineering schools.

<Hao Pan> mmmh okay, anyways as to ur job does that mean u have
   to take mission duration and device life span into consideration?

<John Gruener> Now, we're retiring the Shuttle in a few years, so by
   the time you got around to being an astronaut, you'd have to settle
   for trips to the moon. Sorry.

<Hao Pan> sorry?! i would LOVE 2 goto the moon anyday

<Hao Pan> sign me up haha

<John Gruener> yes, mission duration, surface mobility range, space
   suit flexibility, communication and navigation system that allow you
   to know where you are,etc.

<John Gruener> Anything that willbe neededby scientists to do work
   on the moon has to be designed into the systems

<Hao Pan> about the com/nav system, how would future "moon
   colonists" stay in contact with others?

<Hao Pan> are yall gonna install a lunar-based GPS?

<John Gruener> I gerw up watching Apollo and wanted to go to the
   moon. History and timing isn't going to work out for me. But I've
   had a fun career. NASA is a fun place to work.

<Hao Pan> so people would know where they are

<Hao Pan> yeah definitely, i cant wait til after college =]

<John Gruener> we talk about a lunar GPS, probably fewer satellites
   though than Earth GPS. Also talk cell/radio towers. Mostly neede
   for back side or polar operations. Near side ops can talk to earth
   directly.

<Hao Pan> ah i c

<John Gruener> if you collect rocks at a certain outcrop, you want to
   be able to put them on a map. Also you may want to go back to the
   same spot. Unfortunately, no roads or mapquest on the moon yet.

<Hao Pan> haha that sucks, would a compass work on the moon?

<John Gruener> compasses won't work. no global magnetic field on
   moon.

<John Gruener> the moon is so small, the horizon is only about 2 miles
   away so you go over the horizon very quickly, and it is easy to get
   lost.

<John Gruener> Howdy Jenifer

<Hao Pan> also in ur area of research, what can u do 2 protect the
   equipments on a lunar mission?

<Jennifer Marquez> Hello

<Hao Pan> sup jennifer

<Jennifer Marquez> Hello

<John Gruener> that's tough. the moon is very harsh. extreme
   temps.,extreme radiation, micrometeorites

<John Gruener> Jen, we're talking about what it will be like to work
   and live on the moon

<Jennifer Marquez> good im interested in living at the moon

<Hao Pan> i think we can probably cope with temps + radiation, but
   those micrometeorites sound like a pain in the butt

<John Gruener> you can go with Hao, we've decided he's th epilot of
   the first mission. if he gets out of college ok

<Hao Pan> hahaha gee thanks

<John Gruener> luckily, micrometeorites are not like a rain shower.
   Constant impacts everywhere all the time. But slowly over time
   their effects build up.

<John Gruener> what may be more off a problem is sand blastingout
   systems as landers kick up debris with their rocket exhaust.

<John Gruener> radiation will likely drive long-term habitation
   underground,or at least habitats covered with lunar dirt

<Hao Pan> yesterday i was having a debate with, i believe it was
   antja, on a possibly space-bound radiation shield

<John Gruener> astronauts on EVA are particularly vulnerable to
   solar flares,so we're trying to figure out how to protect them in the
   field.

<Hao Pan> and i proposed a strong, controlled EM shield surrounding
   the ISS. i think the same concept can be applied 2 a lunar base also,
   sicne power consumption wont be a problem since we have room
   and land 2 build a powerful nuclear reactor

<John Gruener> people talk about electromagnetic shields,but that is
   mostly science fiction. requires lots of power, interfers with
   electronics, anddoes who knowswhat to biological things like
   people.

<John Gruener> nukes would be good, but are very expensive to
   design andbuild.

<Hao Pan> right, most aspects are uncertain. but if researched 2
   near-perfection or at least optimal operational standards, we can
   utilize a such field

<John Gruener> our thoughts are to initially go to lunar poles where
   high points have almost permament sun light, and use solar arrays to
   produce electricity

<Hao Pan> yeah that was what i had in mind 4 my lunar base lesson
   a couple weeks back

<John Gruener> spin axis of moon is almost perpendicular to the
   ecliptic plain (plain of planets' orbit around sun)

<Hao Pan> would nasa utilize a so-called "mass driver" 2 transport
   items from to earth and fro?

<John Gruener> high points at poles get sun, low points (crater
   bottoms) are in permanent shade, and very cold

<John Gruener> mass driver in future somday,maybe, to lauch stuff
   into space (not people, too many g's)

<Hao Pan> haha okay, thats what i thought. b/c isnt a mass driver
   pretty much a particle accelerator on a train track?

<John Gruener> mass drivers make sense when a space economy
   takes hold and there is business and products

<Hao Pan> mmmhh eventually =D

<John Gruener> most drivers I've read about use magnetic
   acceleration

<Hao Pan> anyways, i gotta go 2 my lax game

<John Gruener> lax?

<Hao Pan> nice talking 2 u john!

<Hao Pan> lacrosse

<Hao Pan> see yall laterz~
> Hi Erik!

<John Gruener> cool, that's a new sport here in friendswood

<John Gruener> Howdy Erik

<Erik Nielsen> Hey whats up?
> visiting a little bit about the moon - experiements, communications,
   living there...

<John Gruener> we've beentalking about what it willbe like living and
   working on the moon

<Erik Nielsen> It's really an interesting idea when you think about all
   that would need to be accomplised...

<John Gruener> yep, think of what you need to get by here on earth,
   and you'll need the samethings on the moon

<John Gruener> habitats, power, surface transportation, toilet paper

<Erik Nielsen> Yet, so many of these thinks would have to be
   created on the Moon.

<John Gruener> we hope to learn how to make things on the moon
   out of lunar resources

<John Gruener> we call that ISRU (in-situ resource utuilization)

<John Gruener> moon rocks and soil is about 45% oxygen.

<Erik Nielsen> Given our current knowledge of the moon, how much
   would we be able to create on the moon?

<John Gruener> solar wind implants hydrogen and other gases into
   the dirt

<Erik Nielsen> Yes, I see...

<John Gruener> from the moon-oxygen to breathe, water to drink,
   construction materials,

<John Gruener> silica on the moon could be made into solar arrays

<John Gruener> a solar wind gas, helium-3, would be good source of
   fuel for fusion reactors, if those ever come to be real

<John Gruener> explorers have always lived off the land. we'll just
   have to be clever on the moon

<Erik Nielsen> That makes sense. Are any advancements being
   made into the development of these sources of energy? If so, what
   progress has been made?

<John Gruener> we'll also stress reusability and recycling to conserve
   resources. e.g.regenerative life support systems

<John Gruener> fusion is still on the drawing boards, no solid
   breakthroughs yet

<Erik Nielsen> I see, as of right now with the current technology is
   solar power the best bet?

<John Gruener> electric and hybrid car technology is pushing energy
   storage technologies

<John Gruener> solar power only works when the sun is up. for night
   you need batteries or fuel cells (currently heavy and not efficient)

<John Gruener> also, most of moon has 14 daysof continuous sunlight
   followed by 14 days of darkness

<Erik Nielsen> Would place any of the lunar structures underground?

<John Gruener> early human missions will likely be short during
   daylight

<John Gruener> yep, radiation will drive us undergroun
<Erik Nielsen> What would be above ground in your opinion/

<John Gruener> there's the possibility of caves on the moon, lava
   tubes

<John Gruener> above ground willbe landing pads, communication
   stuff, power generation

<John Gruener> watch 2001, an old sci-fi movie. it did the moon
   proud

<Erik Nielsen> How long after settlement occurs do you think, if even
   at all, manufactering would take place (industrial)?
> Howdy, Gabriella!

<Gabriella Dodd> Hi

<John Gruener> we plan on manufacturing demonstrations within the
   first few years. building spare parts will beimportant

<John Gruener> we plan on manufacturing demonstrations within the
   first few years. building spare parts will beimportant

<Erik Nielsen> What about exports to the Earth?
> Welcome, Tehreem

<John Gruener> large scale operations will only occur if commercial
   firms join in

<Erik Nielsen> Yes, to give money to support the operations

<John Gruener> exports to earth surface may not work, but definitely
   to earth orbit facilities

<Tehreem Bilal> Hi, thanks

<Tehreem Bilal> sorry, i'm late, i had debate practice today. what
   have i missed?

<John Gruener> we're trying to encourage international and
   commercial participation on the moon asmuch as possible

<John Gruener> Teh, we're talkingabout working andlivingon the
   moon someday

<Erik Nielsen> Would it be ruled in a way like antartica? Or would
   another system be better?

<John Gruener> plan is first mission back in2020.  howold willy'all be?

<Tehreem Bilal> ah, so i missed that. thats so wondeful.

<Erik Nielsen> 37

<Tehreem Bilal> t will be....

<Tehreem Bilal> in her late twenties/possibly thirty?

<Gabriella Dodd> I'll be 30

<John Gruener> moon gov.? good question. probably a bit like
   Antarctica, but with mining rights

<Erik Nielsen> No nevermind that wrong, sorry thought it was 2000
   for some reason

<Tehreem Bilal> 29

<Tehreem Bilal> would we be candidates to go?
> Does anyone have any last minute questions for John? Thanks for
   chatting with us!

<John Gruener> new astronauts are mostly in early 30s. y'all are right
   age to be lunar astronauts

<Gabriella Dodd> That's cool!

<Erik Nielsen> O so in a way like mineral and ground water rights
   are..

<John Gruener> yep, though owning property on the moon out right
   may not happen. whoknows though???

<Erik Nielsen> Not until it all happens...thanks for your time!!!

<John Gruener> space law is an up andcoming field

<Gabriella Dodd> Thanks
> Thanks John for spending an hour chatting with us! We appreciate
   the time you give to the HAS program!

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