Because people want things in what they understand. They don't want to hear "Approximately 100kg of water", they want two dozen of something they have in the garage or the shed.
but why not say "two dozen one-gallon jugs of milk worth of water" or "enough to fill 384 16oz. water bottles"
The quote comes from a Press television interview. He picked up the two gallon bucket and said the water was enough to fill a dozen of them. The BBC just edited it to read better.
So there's two dozen dead hookers on the moon? I wonder what swimming in low gravity would be like...
surprisingly, not all that much different. Buoyant forces don't depend on gravity, just on the density of water and the density of people (which are the same on the moon as on the earth).
Yay! Now we have more reason to build a stepping stone for environmental studies towards GETTING OUR ASSES TO MARS! ...I hate the political holdup.
But you'll be swimming on the ****ing MOON!!! That has to increase the awesomeness by at least a factor of ten ( also increased will be the shrinkage factor )
Alright, we've got our water. This is looking good. What else would you need to sustain long-term stations on the moon? (Come on, you sci-fi geeks!)
Power - Nasa is looking at nuke reactors for use at the poles, where the majority of the water is. http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/090806-moon-nuclear-power.html Of course, they'll have to be careful, otherwise the moon may get thrown out of orbit!
1. Power. Nukes is certainly an option, however solar arrays will also be highly efficient on the lunar surface. So I would imagine large scale solar farms supplemented with small nuclear power plants. 2. Crops. While in the beginning a lunar colony would most definitely need to be supplied from Earth, lunar growth houses seeding crops either grown in lunar soil, or in soil brought up from Earth, will be necessary for long term viability. We might also want to consider hydroponic crops. The prohibitive cost of continually supplying the colony from Earth will necessitate self sustainability. 3. Oxygen. With a nuclear plant at the colony, the problem of breathable atmosphere for the colony is largely solved. Oxygen can be baked out of the local rock/regolith, and obviously the colony's atmosphere will be recycled. Think of the way the do it on nuclear subs - the same techniques will be viable for a lunar colony - particularly when large quantities of water is available. 4. Resources such as metals. In order for a colony to be self sufficient and viable for the long term, the colony will have to be able to get most - if not all - of their necessary resources extracted locally. This will require mining operations and the construction of metal furnaces and fabrication plants. Obviously this would need to be a long-term goal as spare parts and such would need to be ferried from Earth, however on the long term the ability to manufacture spares locally will go a long way in ensuring long term viability. 5. Medicines. As with point number 4, initially medicinal supplies would initially - and probably for a long time - need to be ferried from Earth. However, building pharmaceutical labs in low g conditions might prove to be beneficial, as well as ensuring long term viability. The less dependent on supplies from Earth the colony could become, the better off the colony would be. 6. Radiation shielding. This is not a simple matter, and certainly one that cannot be understated. We would need to develop highly effective radiation shields that are preferably less costly to implement than the ones employed currently, and also more lightweight than current solutions. 7. Reusable and flexible EVA suits. Current space suits are not really designed for comfort of long-term usability. The lunar dust - regolith - has a tendency to stick to whatever surfaces it encounters, and it will build up layers that hinder flexibility. It is also notoriously difficult to clean away, which is why I know of a certain project in development for a sort of "lunar dust vacuum cleaner" that will get the regolith away. But still, the need for good space suits that are more user friendly than the current generations is not to be underestimated. These suits will also need good radiation shielding, as well as heating and cooling systems that are highly effective. 8. Automation. Mining operations need to be automated as far as possible. This is both in regards to extracting water as well as other local natural resources. Automated mobile factories of sorts will be of great help to the colony's sustainability. 9. High speed data links with Earth. Yes, a Lunar-Earth internet link if you like. It might be considered more of a luxury than a necessity - at least in the beginning - but the possibility of conducting rapid data exchanges and reliable high-speed communications might prove to be crucial for long-term viability. Particularly when considering the fact that supply lines will not exactly be immediate. I'm thinking some sort of laser based data link possibly with a relay satellite at the lagrange point. 10. Porn. Obviously this will be solved with high speed data links to Earth, but still; one cannot underestimate the importance of immediate access to good porn. Obviously there are more crucial elements to consider, but these are my two cents (or should that be ten cents?). Come on people, let's hear your thoughts.
