Moon Base Concepts

[@Puddin-Tamir]

I feel bad you feel the need to tell everyone you have a speech impediment, too be honest i think you speak clearly and are easily understood. I've listened to every video some multiple times never have I thought to myself that it was difficult to understand.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

It saves time, in newer episode I just stick a graphic up early on but that's mostly so I don't aggravate my regular audience with repetition. I try to answer everyone's comments and #1 is about my voice, it often is even when I stick it up on the screen.

[@mavrah-m4129]

I understand both positions, and I like the effort you make to present yourself as human and fallable (unless you're some lizard-person!) but open to reason and discussion. I've watched many of your videos, loving the 'End of Time' series. So depressing yet courageous. But I've often been thinking of a base at the Moon's poles, deep in a crater, spun like you said, and having a large central-directing mirror, like a cone, to illuminate the interior as is needed for crops, industry, temperature regulation, and general illumination. If it's deep enough, it would be able to withstand solar storms, the high rims of the crater blocking the radiation, and with some gadgetry, form a coil which when activated, generate a magentic field to shield against charged particles.

[@robertspencer5219]

@@danaen9985 just thought he sounded like Yaron Brook who has an accent.

[@khankrum1]

I also have a speech impediment. I unusually tell idiots to fuck off when they upset me. I have an autistic son with a speech and language impediment and have no time for them at all! Keep on with your articles Isaac they are a pleasure , and prove to be so informative to me.

[@khankrum1]

@@robertspencer5219 Far better than a Scouse, Glaswegian or Geordie accent. At least you can understand perfectly what he is saying

[@cjrb]

Great mention of Moon (2009), such an underrated film with a great human story. Yet again another brilliant video

[@theMPrints]

That movie was a logical fail......

[@tonyrandall3146]

Best Sci Fi in a while.. Interstellar is overrated..

[@theMPrints]

ok if you think that moon was a good sci-fi please explain me why is cheaper to build some underground base with bunch of clones than using normal crew, if space flight is still so complicated how the hell those space marines hapend? And yes interstellar is worse than moon but none of them is a real hardcore sci-fi just fairytales......

[@christosvoskresye]

Truth be told, Interstellar wasn't that much better than The Core. Well, at least The Core was more fun and didn't have a famous physicist acting as an adviser.

[@jamiewithers5451]

Smashin show

[@theCodyReeder]

25:00 Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that!?

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Hi again Cody! Yeah I am actually not sure if I read about it somewhere or maybe just adapted it off the idea of a walpini perhaps, those are quite neat concepts themselves. It just popped into my head when doing the video. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some old 70's NASA paper that explored the idea though.

[@theophrastusbombastus8019]

Hey Cody I was thinking it would be cool if you made a video showing (or just mentioning if it requires some rare catalyst) some of the processes to extract useful elements from basalts and anorthosites found in lunar regolith, what an astronaut should do to obtain precious oxygen, silicium and aluminium with the less hassle possible?

[@stefang5639]

It's also mentioned in the book red mars.

[@briggsley]

Stefan G yes, but what I don't understand is why other countries like Russia say's we've never gone to the moon

[@abbysapples1225]

So the Moon does not have its own rotation?

[@robertwalker6684]

Good videos. Your voice is fine man. You are very good at this please make them longer with more information.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

+Robert Walker Thanks Robert, I appreciate that... though I suspect most of the viewers do find the voice a bit hard to follow and the videos too long :)

[@robertwalker6684]

Isaac Arthur I can not speak for anyone else but I can tell you my suspicion is that the type of person interested in this subject matter doesn't care about you voice. A subject that might be interesting that you have not taken into account is one of Time on space travel. From relativity to the distance and problems with communications.

[@tranquilitybase9872]

We are thinkers pondering ideas guided by a master thinker. That's what matters.

[@squarerootof2]

I do care about his voice. It sounds really interesting and easy to understand after watching one full video. And the length is just right. Keep it up Isaac! You're awesome!

[@johnnybgoodeish]

Personally, I really like his voice too -it's a plus! If Isaac had a voice like those news reader clones, I wouldn't like to listen to it anywhere near as much! Like Carl Sagan's voice, I find it really relaxing to listen to and it draws me in. I'm sure Carl would be very proud of what Isaac does!

[@october001]

“If God wanted man to become a spacefaring species, he would have given man a moon.” ―Krafft Arnold Ehricke Great video! Subscribed!

[@MeetDannyWilson]

Ehricke is unbelievable, almost a caricature, why did I not hear of him before? Born in Berlin during WWI, given the first name "Krafft" ("Kraft" is the modern German word for "force"). Studied under Geiger and Heisenberg, (choose the best, I guess) During WWII he worked in Peenemünde on V-2 rockets (an obvious choice, given his name) Went to America after the war (well, duh) Worked with von Braun (obviously) Envisioned crewed Mars expeditions (obviously) Wrote a book with von Braun (obviously) Designed THE Centaur upper stage (obviously) Worked on the NEXUS reusable rocket (obviously) - IN THE FREAKING SIXTIES. Worked on nuclear propulsion in the Project Orion (obviously)

[@unclefreddieDied]

@@MeetDannyWilson you (obviously) know your stuff

[@unclefreddieDied]

I didn't know she was gonna take my pants off?!? - Bob Kraft

[@stevemickler452]

@@MeetDannyWilson Also the "Lunetta" and "Solletta" systems to use huge mirrors to illuminate areas of the Earth's surface and did some work on using solar thermal rocket propulsion for Mars missions that would first get a gravity assist and do a thrust near Venus to save 70 days off a conjunction class mission.

[@yaddahaysmarmalite4059]

"If God wanted man to become a spacefaring species, he would have made us able to breathe in space"---Me

[@PumpkinHeadJim]

hi Isaac. I just found you channel today and I am hooked. your channel will without a doubt, provide me with countless hours of entertainment. thanks for the great videos

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Thanks!

[@HuntingTarg]

I hope you got more than entertainment out of it - futurism is its own sort of education, spanning nearly every scientific discipline at our disposal, and employing the most underused faculty of humankind; the Imagination. "Imagination is more important than knowledge." -Albert Einstein

[@numberjackfiutro7412]

Mainly money, it takes at least $3000 per kg to launch people and cargo into orbit using conventional disposable rockets. Launch costs will have to fall drastically for space colonization, especially civilian space colonization, to become reality. Elon Musk and certain others are working on lowering launch costs drastically.

[@robertmiller9735]

Another reason why the poles would be good choices to site a moonbase is that the inside of a permanently shadowed crater is cold enough for currently existing superconductors, which can be used to make low-maintenance radiation shields.

[@AndDiracisHisProphet]

+Robert Miller Good point. But wouldn't it also be possible do put superconductor-cables underneath the surface? How warm does the moon get in different depths after two weeks of sunlight?

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

+AndDiracisHisProphet If I recall the temperature of the moon stabilizes at about 250 K, -10°F, at about a meter or so deep, but we haven't been able to check that rigorously all over. Figure for a big shadow you might need to go nearly as deep as the shadow is wide at its narrowest size in a light cycle to hit equilibrium. Those shadows get very cold though, some are colder than Pluto's average temp. But you wouldn't be able to run any superconductors we currently have over long distances buried, a bit too hot. You don't really need them to be superconductors though, those are pretty good temps for old fashioned metal ones to get a nice spike to efficiency and any extra efforts put into better wiring might just be better suited to building more solar panels.

[@HuntingTarg]

31:47 THIS is why I hold my objections until I've seen the full video. You're a great mind sir, and think of things I never did. 32:00 LOOL I think the clever music cues and the optimistic tone of narration in the last 3 minutes captured the spirit of futurism superbly. TYVM for being bold enough to start and continue this channel sir. +Issac Arthur

[@Spagghetii]

If anyone is interested, an anime series named Gundam has some fantastic visual references to some of these ideas about colonizing space. Moon bases, space elevators and space habitats are a staple that the series is based around.

[@Livinivs]

Spagghetii literally looked up Gundam's von braun station yesterday to get a good idea of what a moon colony would look like

[@BosonCollider]

Another good series is Planetes, which is a hard science-fiction anime series that had consultants from JAXA helping out with the engineering.

[@Wordsmiths]

Yay Gundam Wing! A groundbreaking television series in its time. I introduced it to my kids to help teach them the concepts of "virtues" and "vices" ...and the truth that no one is entirely and simply "evil" or "good"! Gundam Seed was just as exciting but not as deep as far as character development goes. But I have weirdly high standards for things like "character arc". And I'm delighted that the Gundam story world is still known and enjoyed today!

[@HuntingTarg]

Anime has way more interesting plots and stories than most North American programming. You're a cultural dunce.

[@celtlen]

Isaac, I just wanted to tell you how much I'm enjoying your channel. It is quite addictive! Thank you for producing such a wonderful library of fascinating videos.

[@dougdar1965]

Aside from the optical advantages available from the far side of the moon, there is a tremendous gain in conducting radio astronomy as the noise emanating from the earth would be effectively filtered and removed from the equation. Also, there are a number of other scientific advantages that the moon could offer, including options for constructing particle accelerators that far exceed the capabilities of the LHC and manufacturing of new materials and compounds in low gravity environments. These could be be set up in lunar orbit which offers easier access, maintenance, and retrieval for mass production, and could then be easily transported back to earth as you mentioned. There are additional advantages that combine scientific advancement with profit that should attract private enterprise. A big one you left off is tourism. Whether it's by enabling individuals to have a unique vacation experience or by providing a staging base for mining and other profit endeavors in the solar system, if there is viable financial motive, private industry will find a way before national pride to drive the push for a permanent presence. Awesome videos and great selection of music! Oh ... BTW I believe it was John Young driving around in the shot you had. :)

[@tsamuel6224]

Large particle accelerators require vast infrastructure to build which means most of it gets shipped from Earth to the moon. This class of stuff does not get easier on the moon quickly, and will remain easier and cheaper on Earth for quite some time. Economically, the moon is a vast staging area, a mining colony and a fuel depot. In the short run, it is an economic dead end as Isaac describes, a stepping stone to real space travel.

[@dee5161]

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[@JanetWilliams01]

I would agree that one really huge reason to go back is going to be tourism. Following or with tourism comes other private enterprise.

[@Deadpool-su2po]

@@tsamuel6224 yea until we can get good enough infrastructure on it

[@ShinForgotPassxXx]

Great to hear from you again, I got a good wine, sat down and enjoyed the episode.

[@farisabuain6832]

Coming from 2020, now with the knowledge of the Artemis Program and its goal to establish a semi permanent base on the moon. Super excited! 😊

[@kenanway9999]

Personally, I would be glued to a 3+ hour video on just about any of these subjects. as i regularly watch about 6 of these thought provoking videos in a row. I would love more details. I really want to better understand why we do some things but not others in space. Knowledge is power. You sir, are very powerful!

[@psyekl]

So the short answer: Establishing habitation on the moon would be ultimately beneficial to Earth's space infrastructure.

[@morgorth3242]

@@frontrider3240 ya we could ban mining on earth for some materials while we can get it on the moon instead so we dont damange the earth biosphere

[@johnballentine8915]

17:48 Haha wow!!! I made that picture almost 12 years ago! So cool to see someone using it. Especially someone who I'm a big fan of!

[@MarcErlich44]

I really like the longer videos! Moon bases was a great topic idea. I would love to see a video discussing potential search strategies for ET intelligence? Basically anything involving ETI I find incredibly compelling.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

+Marc Erlich I probably should revisit the Fermi Paradox, and ETI Search Strategies might make a fun topic, thanks!

[@cidshroom]

+Isaac Arthur Ya it would be a good topic if you can find enough strategies to outline. You could cover the pros/cons of each part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and how much energy it would take to send messages 100 light years, 1000 light years, etc. Bracewell Probes are also a good method of investigation. I'm sure you'll find a ton of stuff though, you're very thorough as I've said before.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

+cidshroom Bracewell Probes all by themselves might take up a video :)

[@cidshroom]

Isaac Arthur Ooooh I didn't think there would be that much data on them! Can't wait to see it!

[@MarcErlich44]

+Isaac Arthur Anytime! This is literally my favorite channel on KZbin and I get genuinely pumped up for new episodes so needless to say, I am happy to give my input with regards to potential future topics.

[@AmbionicsUK]

I like the way you talk but more importantly - what you talk about. Keep up the great work Sir!

[@stiantiger]

This is one of the best videos I have seen on youtube..!! Great job Isaac Arthur..!!

[@PJHitterman]

I LOVE your videos! I listen to them all the time. I find them extremely informative and they all are so interesting. I also think that stating you have a speech impediment is too strong a phrase. I have absolutely no problem understanding you and i find your voice and the confidence you carry to be extremely comforting. I suffer from anxiety and listening to your videos calms me down. In fact, listening to your videos is currently the only way i can relax enough to fall asleep at night. So, i sincerely thank you. Very sincerely!

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Some folks find it relaxing, some find it incredibly irritating, but it is undeniably a speech impediment :)

[@PJHitterman]

Well, you are extremely knowledgeable, entertaining, & undeniably talented.

[@rokaspetreikis6093]

I had a harder time to understand southern dialect in house of cards at the first few episodes. This is actually quite clear.

[@numberjackfiutro7412]

You mean the non-rhotic one Frank Underwood \ Kevin Spacey uses?

[@redpsycho90]

I think it’s amazing you with your speech impediment you’re still doing this. It motivates me to also start my channel in the future. But to be honest, I understand you better then some American dialects. Keep up the good work!

[@yanis905]

I’m not good with accents, so I was just mildly curious to know where yours was coming from. But the content is so compelling that I could never keep my mind on this for long. You say “impediment” but I hear “personality”.

[@aarondyer.pianist]

A moon base is of particular interest to me and you covered the subject beautifully in a half hour, especially the discussion of why we haven't gone back yet.

[@XBnPC]

Great video! I thought it was educational and interesting all the way through. Kudos

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Thanks!

[@19james77]

GREAT video.. That was intensely interesting from start to finish. I'll be watching "Moon" tonight. Thanks for the tip.

[@MrMonkeybat]

An alternative energy storage to batteries is fly wheels. A magnetically levitated flywheel in a vacuum aligned with the pole can store power indefinitely. Store and discharge power more quickly and efficiently than a battery. And does not degrade of wear out with repeated charging and discharging cycles like battery will. Carbon fiber flywheels can match the energy density of the best batteries today.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

+MrMonkeybat Very good point, I did discuss flywheel storage at some point before, not sure when, maybe in Rotating Habitats, but it really should have been in this one. Probably even traditional non-levitating Flywheels in vacuum and low gravity would be pretty good energy storage options. One of the problems with the subject matter, so much of the detailed work dates back to the 70s and 80s and that was what I was mostly reviewing to make sure I hadn't skipped improtant stuff, and stuff like superconductors were total scifi then.

[@bushmaster1740]

Porsche Prototype / GT 24hr LeMans race cars recovered and stored energy on a flywheel in the passenger seat.

[@stephenresler]

Your Speech Impediment is like an accent that is easy to get used to. Your videos are an inspiration and I use them to teach my students. Someday I would very much like to bicycle to Ohio and share a coffee or tea with you. God Speed.

[@daniellelemond7426]

The best reason for a permanent moon base is twofold as I see it. First it would make a great place for a stationary telescope and bring much detail and resolution to anything we see by other means. A permanent base could also serve as a training facility for those who are journeying outward to other places. An international agreement could be passed that all astronauts and technicians be trained in the quarter G gravity of the moon before going deeper into space. The mining of Helium3 or other valuable minerals would more than pay for the upkeep and even show a profit. It would be much cheaper to launch anything from the moon! Robotics would do most of the mining -- refining and excavating large underground habitats for humans to reside in. It just makes too much sense to go there---any money spent would eventually come back, and the experiences of working and living there would make our explorers feel like colonial veterans by the time they occupy Mars-or Titan in the future

[@lghammer778]

I love how humble you are in this early days video Isaac 😃 I’ve been watching the moon playlist & it’s awesome to see the progress you’ve made, way-to-grow! 🖖🏽👽☮️

[@trentmcevoy3785]

How can you sleep at night knowing so much stuff? Love it.

[@tangoechobravo806]

Great video my friend. You'll be an immediate watch whenever you upload a video from here on out. Well done.

[@MsSomeonenew]

Robot expeditions are safe and cheap short term for sure, but NASA does point out that what a robot rover does in 10 years an astronaut could do in a couple of hours. And if we intend to dabble in off planet colonization our moon should be the logical first step, because shit brakes and if shit brakes when you are 2 years away from the next launch window to Earth then you are literally beyond all help. Meanwhile every piece of equipment and building processes could be tested on a moon base for viability and minimum risk (generators, housing, mining, refining, construction, agriculture, medicine, transport, long term off world living,...). Worst case scenario you are 3-5 days from home with a rather simple escape pod, or someone who can help is 3-5 days away from you, making it the safest human colonizing attempt we can ever do and the best way to properly field test new technologies.

[@bozo5632]

Ten years to two hours is about the right ratio - how much robot you get for the same money as an astronaut. More robots is the answer, even after space is cheap. First human job on Mars might be rover repairman.

[@annoyed707]

Did your dictionary 'brake'?

[@Maxgamer-fd7hv]

Yes but a human takes much more material to do the same work as the robot. A robot made for exploring the surface can do it for years without any requirement of oxygen, food, water, radiation protection etc. In layman's terms: Humans = more versatile, less efficient, more expensive Robot = less versatile, less expensive, more efficient.

[@DAYBROK3]

It’s great how far your video quality has come. After a few vids you don’t notice the speech thing, it was not troublesome in the first place.

[@kailindorian]

What a great video. Subscribed.

[@Reneza66]

So many good videos. The amount of content and quality of the content is staggering.

[@tsamuel6224]

For lunar and Mars bases I like underground bases buried under mining tailings and some built in lava tubes. I like digging huge mining trenches that might as well get vast habitats buried in them. And I like a combination of power from nuclear, solar, batteries and rocket fuel powered backup generators. Thorium is abundant for 24/7 nuclear power, solar is abundant for intermittent power to charge batteries, batteries for grid level storage are about to drop in cost, and backup generators always make sense where a loss of power results in loss of life. Batteries amplify the amount of available power by storing the surplus for use during peak demand, so nuclear does not out mode solar, nuclear simply pushes solar to the role of boosting power during daylight when people are most active and power demand is highest. A mix of solar, batteries and backup generators is still the easiest thing to bring to set up camp.

[@buckmanaustin3211]

Isaac, I just discovered your site last week and I am really enjoying these concepts that you are covering. I've always loved thinking about the possibilities of man's future in space, so this really hits a home run in my book. My only problem is that there's so much info coming so fast, that I don't have time to process everything before you move on. But that's my problem, I guess. Also, thanks for the CC text, but you actually have a very pleasant voice to listen to. Great work.

[@haraldothegreat]

A giant solar farm moon base powering a massive telescope and anti asteroid laser why the fuck not!

[@fatetestarossa2774]

indeed

[@joelellis7035]

Our own personal Death Star! Fuck YEAH!!!

[@quentinwong9020]

Thanks again Issac for another brilliant video....

[@mabonhunts]

If I had the money to put a colony on the Moon I'd do the whole thing my self. Some times we just need to do thing not because you get something useful out of it or and make money off of it but just to prove to everyone it can be done. Once just one person does something it makes it way easier for everyone else to try it as well. If there was a Hotel on the moon I bet you it would be full year around. And why not today we spend trillions of money on slaughtering people if we instead took that money and spent it on space. It would be a much more humane way to spend it, and much easier to promote the idea of peace.

[@cuscof2]

I've forgotten who said it, but I've always like the quote, "There is no logical reason to go to space. The universe is full of the ruins of rational civilizations being discovered by those who did the illogical thing."

[@biggamer500]

Dennis McConnell just like JFK said " We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard." So let's build that moon hotel.

[@jpamusher]

Brian Bixby I don`t believe we`ve discovered any civilizations other than here on Earth.

[@johnrobinson4445]

Beautifully, beautifully done. I am a big fan of going back to the Moon, to stay. Thank you for making this.

[@tomrobertson3236]

just because a space elevator isnt possible yet, why arent we putting up short ones, tether com. was founded by dr forward. they said a 1000 km tether would travel at orbital speed of the mid point. the bottom would travel more slowly, allowing a ricket to save fuel. also allowing for a jet to connect. the top would be traveling faster then it should. a satellite released from the top would move to 98 percent of geo orbit . id like a show exoloring this option

[@savagesarethebest7251]

Your videos are still as good as ever! :)

[@mikedrones537]

Does NASA know about this channel???

[@Nobody-11B]

Unlikely. Otherwise we would expect them to get off their hands and do something.

[@konfunable]

If they knew, we would already lived on Venus :/

[@falseprophet1024]

Carlos Saraiva Military spending isnt actually that much (less than 20% of the us budget) and historically helps with space exploration. Military gave us rockets. Military spending may even lead to space exploration in a cold war type scenario. A new space race instead of an arms race. Think of it like europe at the time of america's founding. Once its feasible to colonize these places, i imagine there will be a rush by countries to establish control of the resources and strategic advantages that space colonization provides. What do you mean by corporate support? Companies like space x will do more for space exploration and colonization than nasa ever will. Once you can get the profit motive behind space exploration and colonization you will see a huge increase, which will dwarf what countries are able to do. The best bet is to lightly regulate and stop taxing companies like space x to give them the most ability and incentive to explore and colonize. Governments are actually pretty bad at social development, so it may be a good if they dont get anymore involved with that than they already are. Without policies that prioritize economic growth, it is hard to have companies like space x, as they require massive capital with returns that are far off in the future. Private companies are also profit driven so they drive innovation to reduce costs, which also helps everyone. Space x's reusable rocket will cut launch costs by a good bit, which will greatly help space exploration.

[@falseprophet1024]

Carlos Saraiva Jesus, why cant people respond to the the points raised, instead of making useless comments??

[@falseprophet1024]

Carlos Saraiva Great response. Take you awhile to think up that masterpiece?

[@drewskiiiiiiiii]

I absolutely LOVE your videos, and always learn something interesting. You're so intelligent and can break things down for all of us to comprehend. Keep up the amazing work :)

[@TheMhalpern]

the moon is the perfect place to build large space craft

[@robrocksea]

Space is a perfect place to build spacecraft. The Moon is the best place to get supplies from vs Earth, mainly getting most of the raw materials in bulk, Fuel, Oxygen and Most of the refined metals to build the tanks that hold them. As well as the wires, cables and metal sheets to build structural parts for spacecraft.

[@JeffreyBue_imtxsmoke]

Thanks for the video. It was very informative and I believe it was about the right length. I definitely enjoyed it.

[@smhdpt12]

If humans want to become a space faring people, we have to start with the moon. Permanent settlement will give us the necessary training to launch to the planets and stars. Thank goodness NASA and SpaceX see this clearly..

[@adamvale945]

You sir have the best space-related channel on KZbin! Thanks for the videos.

[@Spagghetii]

Is that osama's compound @ 3:00?

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Yes, I wondered if anyone would catch that

[@Nehmo]

goo.gl/maps/vQsFsJkvLET2 North is to the right.

[@syringistic]

Four years later, I just caught that too :)

[@heavymeddle28]

Wow... I discovered this channel about 4 days ago and I can't stop watching. Thanks. Greetings from Thailand😄

[@cidshroom]

Great video once again. I don't think I've ever seen anything cover a Lunar Base in that detail. I mean even using the moon as a giant heatsink for a giant laser was a great idea. The only thing, and I had to struggle to think of something, but the only thing I think could have been added would be cost of fertilizers. You said you have to grow your own food, but where are you going to get all the "N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn, B, Si, Co, & V"? And this is just the current list, Si wasn't added too long ago, but it can boost the yield of tomatoes 400%. Luckily Si wasn't too much of a problem as you already stated there's plenty on the Moon. I know a lot isn't known about Lunar Geology, but some speculation on best/worst case scenarios would be a good addition. I mean if you constantly have to ship in your own N-P-K that's not great. To re-use all of it again as well, say as compost. You don't have to just use the wasted plant matter, but also human waste, including sweat. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspiration#Composition Fungi and Bacteria would help a ton with this, but it seems like no matter what you do, you're going to end up losing fertilizer to entropy. So there's possibly another topic for you, self-contained biospheres here on Earth, and the problems they ran into, and the challenges to overcome to get those into space! Forgive me if you've already covered some of this, you always go into so much detail I'm never sure if I'm bringing up something new, or just something I missed in the video, or something you covered in another video.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

+cidshroom It's a good point to raise and one I should have spent some time on, these videos always have to have a lot of material I'd rather include trimmed out... but we did cover a bit of it in the Terraforming video. What I should have mentioned was that the Moon shares a lot of similarities in composition to the Earth and it is usually thought that the whole mass of moon and most of the crust of Earth are fallout of a giant collision late in the Earth's formation. Nitrogen is a little lacking but present, and all the other major organic elements are decently abundant. It's hard to put exact figures on some of the trace elements but they seem mostly present and with trace minerals you could ship them in, not even necessarily from Earth if you start needing a lot. But if you need one part per million of something and there's just not any of it on the moon, importing isn't too bad, you'd be recycling a lot so after the initial influx you'd just need to bring in a little to replace unavoidable losses form time to time. If wee need a million tons of plant matter there and you need one ppm of some given element, well shipping in one ton form earth isn't too arduous a task. That's an interesting notion though, of covering the problems we've had with isolated biosphere experiments here on Earth.

[@cidshroom]

Isaac Arthur That's a good point, and raw minerals don't really have to land too lightly. A mass driver may serve a use by firing essentially shipping containers full of minerals at the Moon. The material making up the container could be re-purposed into material for the Lunar Base. The parts per million point is very true though. If you're setting up a lunar base, it's likely that you're going back and forth so much, that a few tons of fertilizer here and there won't add much to the bill. Glad you liked the biosphere idea though, you could probably throw in anything left out about minerals in there as a side note. Oh also, great job in this video mentioning that some plants, but not others, can handle 24/7 sunlight. That's probably going to become very important to Lunar bases/colonies. Especially if they figure out how to control that trait better with genetic engineering. Crops that produced 24/7 would boost the yield of all growing spaces significantly.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

+cidshroom Algaculture, with a lot of those simple organisms being much more robust to varying light conditions, holds a lot of promise too, both as a primary or secondary food source and as a feedstock for plastics. And of course gene-tweaking of plants is probably a real option too. Containers shot at the moon are a bit trickier, and that's where lunar elevators start looking nicer, but yeah there's a lot of options there and which was best would vary entirely with what tech you got, what you're shipping, and how much of it, since without air to slow down you're basically accelerating the whole way there once you enter the Moon's gravity and hit like a bullet.

[@cidshroom]

Isaac Arthur You could use a limited engine to slow you down. Or fire a mass off the front just before you land to slow down the important part. I think you could engineer your way out of that one.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

+cidshroom Oh sure, some things might not even need slowed down, but we're talking fastball to low bullet speeds, not earth orbital. An airbag, a gas vent, there's plenty of options.

[@gmangsan]

I understand every word you say, it is the science that baffles me but you make it awesome Isaac, thank you.

[@pumpuppthevolume]

u know what would be cool ......a video on colonising Antarctica

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

That actual would be kinda cool

[@pumpuppthevolume]

Isaac Arthur :) yep overcoming an ice desert and looking at different details..... it's basically like a frozen habitable planet with not too bad temperature and great atmosphere

[@laughingcheeze8566]

Gigantic dome city? Or lots of Atlantis style city ships!

[@RainingPiggies]

That's legally banned.

[@dekippiesip]

RainingPiggies yeah it is legally banned, but the fact major powers are abiding by those rules show there isn’t much interests. Powers like the U.S. or Russia regularly violate int. laws almost without consequence. When invading Iraq or annexening Crimea ‘the law’ wasn’t much of an issue. So the fact that they listen to it does show limited economic incentives anyway. You can bet your ass of that if any major oil fields or recources where found the major powers wouldn’t give a damn about that law and just colonize.

[@BWBizarreWorlds]

Love your videos. Have watched them all. There are some concepts I ve never heard about before. Huge inspiration for many people! Thank You for sharing your knowledge and time to create those videos!

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

+charlottewerter They're a lot of fun to make, I'm glad people are enjoying them

[@ChrisOliverHaanes]

Greetings from Norway

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

hei og velkommen Chris, though that expended about half of my Norwegian lexicon :)

[@lc1435]

This is hands down my favorite channel. Keep up the great work!

[@zruvanastrian6062]

Elon Musk should watch this video...

[@jonniiinferno9098]

excellent content - as always - Thanks Isaac !!

[@calvinsylveste8474]

Many of these reasons to not return to the moon can be better applied to not going to mars. The assorted rovers on mars can cover our legitimate scientific interests in the near term until we are ready to move out into the solar system in a meaningful way. We don't need mars rocks or pictures of a flag & foot prints on mars, just because you can do something does not mean you should. You have to learn how to creep before you can run, the experience of setting up, systems and living in a moon base for years should be a prerequisite to a mars mission.

[@bozo5632]

Why do either one? And if you do want Mars, why do both? Except for certain research, asteroids are better for all purposes.

[@calvinsylveste8474]

+Bo Zo Why bother getting out of bed every morning? A most deplorable ethic has taken root the last few decades, it promotes the view that no endeavor should be attempted unless there is profit to be made, more rational peoples have other ideas. The moon has some meaningful gravity, resources and it is 4 days away, this makes it a better place to develop the necessary competencies to do mars or asteroids.

[@DrewLSsix]

Dukky Drake. in the last few decades? since when has any nation or civilization ever spent great amounts of resources perpetually without some sort of return? they never have, amd they certainly wont start now.

[@calvinsylveste8474]

+DrewLSsix You're obviously not a student of history, there is always a return just not immediately and not always cash. Think basic research in more modern times and exploration in older times. Strategic thinking nations will continue to invest to progress their societies leaving behind the short sighted ones.

[@biggamer500]

DrewLSsix Have you heard of the f35, over a trillion dollars and still counting.

[@jasonandres2952]

I'm seriously starting to wonder if you're the smartest person walking the earth?! Seriously, the amount of information you have...spread over so many different topics is truly astonishing! Please keep the videos coming I haven't found one yet that I didn't like.

[@highlandrab19]

as there is no atmosphere you could do away with banks of batteries and just construct a huge flywheel out of material you mine from the moon.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Very true, we talked about that in the Moon base concepts episode as I recall, but I do have a bad habit of referring to all power storage as a battery too. Spin-grav habitats for instance make excellent free flywheels for energy storage.

[@HuntingTarg]

The moon is probably one area where you'd want to avoid huge kinetic devices; upsetting the moon's spin or orbital momentum could have disastrous consequences for Earth... and make for a great Sci-Fi plot!

[@daciamcv1026]

I wish every one on utube could be as knowledgeable and clear as you then maybe we might actuality get back to the moon and beyond

[@christianst.463]

how fast can an unladen european swallow fly?

[@imbecilicamerican9512]

11 meters per second

[@NyoomMonster]

My youngest sister was born with a cleft pallet and she had a speach impediment that she went to therapy to correct for several years. She struggled with a lot of the same sounds you do. I was always particularly good at understanding her and translating here (especially when she was upset and crying, which happened often when she was little), so I don't feel like I have any trouble understanding you in your videos. So here's one subscriber who doesn't mind.

[@chrisrus1965]

Don't send people. Just send robots. Sending people might seem cool but the evidence would indicate that it would suck, hard. Probably they will all die. Robots is the rational thing to send.

[@christopherwalker7615]

noone has died on the moon. being sent there doesnt mean you have to stay there forever, it would be just like the southpole (where "probably they will all die" given how many people actually died getting there) only there would be different things to study.

[@chrisrus1965]

Christopher Walker People died in moon missions and would have on the moon if we'd stayed longer. People get evacuated from the South Pole or die. Tons of people died there.

[@chrisrichardson8881]

You really need to have problem solvers up there to evaluate issues and determine the best way to adapt to the situation. The need to science the hell out of the situations is really important.

[@wonderoushistoryofclassicf9193]

chrisrus1965 we as a species need to leave earth to survive. We can survive in the harsh environments through adapting the environment to us as humans have done for thousands of years

[@hebekiah3623]

chrisrus1965 - perhaps three tons if you include all old shipping accidents and passenger aircraft that had nothing to do with exploration/research (assuming 150Kg per person which is probably high). Since the 1960s a couple dozen people have died, almost all from helicopter and small plane crashes. 3 people have died otherwise: 2 in a fire, 1 in a snowmobile crash.

[@pnunezaguila]

First vids I watched a vid from this channel I hated Arthur's accent, now I love it. You're doing a great work!

[@rythomas1586]

Thanks! Loved the video. Your easier to understand than most people I know. Keep up the great videos.

[@Whooopsnobodybusinessactually]

You are hands down one of the best content creators out here

[@linesided]

You sound amazing and I agree with other comments here that you should be proud of your accomplishments. It's a pleasure to hear you discuss these concepts and I wish you many years to come of being able to do so!

[@Aurgelmir87]

Found this channel not long ago and is soon about to finish watching everything you have uploaded at this point in time. Great stuff. Somewhat suprised that lunar lava tubes were not mentioned in this video though, would seem like a pretty nice place to set up shop if one wanted to make a base on the moon.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Unfortunately a lot of things weren't mentioned in the video, never enough time for everything even a long as these tend to run. :)

[@crimscrimz5977]

Just found your channel, i enjoy watching this alot. keep up the good work bro

[@CREVchannel]

I love this guy, every single one of his videos is like watching a documentary. Very well made videos!

[@meyerjac]

Cool videos. You very clearly explain the science and the practical challenges of energy and space travel.

[@thelittlestmig3394]

I never realised you had an actual speech impediment. Good stuff, subd and belled. Having accelerated daylight cycle accelerates plant growth. It is already used in number of greenhouses to boost the production rates which can double depending on plant and conditions. Building a tall structure to near pole base could provide all necessary power from solar panels as you proposed.

[@buck9739]

You are easy to understand and do a perfect job. Thankyou I learn tons and appreciate it.

[@TimbuktuPublishing]

Excellent, well-reasoned video which largely supports my own ideas for an international colony at the Moon's south pole.

[@mikewashington4188]

Thanks, Mr. Arthur. As always great work!

[@SandroCalzada]

You are such a deep thinker sir, amazing video as always. Greetings from Peru.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

+Sandro Calzada Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Jazzaconda]

@Isaac Arthur! One of the 'Best' Channels on the Tube! If I could be a Patreon, I would! Great Channel, keep up the Excellent work!

[@cianmurtagh468]

New subscriber and have to say im loving this channel so far, will comment again once I catch up to the latest videos :)

[@kampkrieger]

one of the best episodes, also visually

[@MrAjam12]

Its been 4 years since this video was published. Nasa has a new moon program now, would love to see an update video

[@raymondj8768]

Isaac Arthur great videos i been binge watching them very cool channel dude and i can understand you just fine bro great content keep up the great work dude !!!

[@tranquilitybase9872]

Thank you for your work. For a new video idea consider doing one on everything that must have gone right for us to be here. The list would be very long. What traits gained in past challenges have been key in our survival hundreds of thousands of years later? What galactic events enabled us the peace and time to evolve? What forces drove the development of intelligence?

[@paolozamparutti1972]

Happy to have found this channel

[@Estabanwatersaz]

Thank you Issac!

[@syringistic]

@Isaac Arthur - I am sure you are aware of the source, but why did you use the UBL compound in Abbottabad as satellite footage at 2:59? I find it really funny, since it's so recognizable. Either way, awesome video. Please keep doing what you are doing!

[@JohnDoe-dh1cv]

Ok so this is my first video and I just wanted to point out that, I don't think ur that hard to understand. Also, the confidence it takes to point this out yourself and resolve the problem. Congratulations man

[@Jassimbucheeri]

I remember watching this when it first came out. Amazing how prospects have changed in just a few years, the moon is now much more in focus.

[@johnnyweb2000]

I agreee with Weaverbe, l love you speech, you hit all the phonetical points and you have a charming twist on certain Consistent sounds - you are easy to understand

[@johnthomasriley2741]

This is an excellent summary of current thinking about lunar settlement but misses several new developments. I have been working this problem for about four years and would very much like to discuss some of these with you: 1. Why return to the Moon -- The strongest reason for returning to the Moon becomes clear only within the context of other 21st century Earth problems (e.g. climate change, demographic transition, etc.). Taken out of context the effort is worthless. 2. The 21st century - We have been stuck for 50 years. We need to talk about what we can do right now. Talking about what we might be able to do later only invites delay. 3. South Pole-Aitken Basin - Your available light discussion misses an enormous and very well placed hole. 4. Radiation danger - The human brain is much more susceptible to radiation damage than previously thought. We will have to dig in, and dig in deep. I would be most happy to trash out some of these problems with you. Enjoy, Tom RileyThe Big Moon Dig

[@quisno11]

Isaac you do very well in your speech.

[@prisonplanetearthcomplyordie]

Hello Isaac . You Don't have a Speech Impediment at all if anything you do have is a Smooth Accent with some really Uniquely Beautifully Pronounced words that I have No trouble understanding and as soon as I hear you talk I know its you without an Introduction . If anybody says they have a problem understanding you then I'm Sure they have a Listening Impediment . Anyway while I'm here I'd like to say to you Isaac Arthur you have the Best KZbin channel I've ever seen I can name a few great channels but None can compare with the Quality of video,s and information you provide to us the audience . Cheers to you M8

[@PyrusFlameborn]

even though I have been born way later hearing these recordings from the moon landing do make me emotional, just that sense of achievement, I always try to imagine how it felt for the people watching it on tv as it was happening

[@granthovey3969]

Watching the moon landing was quite an event with us. We had family and friends at our home to view it on our black and white TV. I had a plastic model of the LEM and enjoyed demonstrating how the lower part was going to serve as a launch platform for the upper stage. Everyone believed that Apollo 11 was just the beginning of a series of continuing human space explorations (we were sure wrong). World reaction was exuberant

[@izarscharf7845]

You know initially i hated your "accent" but now i really like it, i guess its just something one has to get used to, and now i have no problems understanding you either, thank you for the interesting content !!!

[@wleizero]

I've noticed this in a lot of places ... at 11:29, the chemical composition of "standard" regolith was mentioned, however, the composition isn't standard. Like Earth, the compositions are quite varied. Depending on which landing site (Apollo 11-17) you've got different minerals compositions. My favorites were from the Apollo 17 site, high in Titanium ore (ilmenite) :-) AWESOME VIDEOS! KEEP THEM COMING!

[@istvansipos9940]

Tourism would be also great on the Moon. With many many mega rich people nowadays, a 1 week holiday for 50 000 000 bucks would be sold out for the first few years in minutes

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Probably, though at the moment we'd take a huge loss at that price :)

[@istvansipos9940]

Isaac Arthur yes, I heard that a moon base would be around 10 billion construction cost and 2 billion maintenance per year, so it would be bad business even with 100 tourists a year. But if they do it anyway (for other reasons), a 5 billion annual support is way better than 0

[@geekinutopia5899]

Soon the price could decrease so more people could go to the Moon.

[@budscroggins2632]

great stuff...subbed...looking foward to watching more