Re: OT: Let\'s all go to the Moon...
 

and an appropraite webcomic page for it from the very cute Count Your Sheep: http://sheep123.keenspace.com/d/20031003.html

Re: OT: Let\'s all go to the Moon...
 

Well, the dust could easily have gotten into external portions of the suits. Any parts outside of the air-vaccuum barrier could get clogged up.

Also, the dust they would have tracked inside could then have gotten in when they remove their helmets.

Re: OT: Let\'s all go to the Moon...
 

Dust seems to be a major problem on both the Moon and Mars. It makes you wonder just how practical any 'permanent' presence will be on either. With the Moon I guess you can rely on the industrial might of your earth-based infrastructure to send lots of replacement equipment. That will greatly increase the cost of the permanent presence, though.

On Mars the dust might even be chemically corrosive as well as very fine and gritty. I'd be really cautious of trying to land people there until many robotic probes had landed and returned samples for study from various areas. The smart thing to do would be to send manned missions to orbit Mars, only landing with robots -- which could be controlled from orbit with much better precision than the 45 minute delay from Earth-based control.

[ December 05, 2003, 20:18: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: OT: Let\'s all go to the Moon...
 

I say we pack up the whole Prison population of the US and send them to the Moon with the the following items:

1 can of Pledge
5 rolls of Paper Towels
1 box of Swiffer Cloths

Asta la vista, dust!

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: OT: Let\'s all go to the Moon...
 

Make the equipment have no exposed internal parts, just tough casing that can resist dust. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: OT: Let\'s all go to the Moon...
 

Actually... The articles state that at least in the case of the moon the biggest problem with the dust is that it hovers above the surface and as you walk through it it clings to you. This is apparantly due to electric charge in the dust. Based on that you can do several things to either bring it down to the ground again so it doesn't have the problem of cling or you can charge the equipment so it repels the dust. Something like one of those. So at least on the moon the dust problem at least seems to be settled.