MMM Classics Year 10: MMM #s 91-100 - Moon Society

Frontier Musings [cf. MMM # 91 DEC ‘95,
p. 6 “Personnel”]
Sometimes, when I'm musing about the mechanics
of lunar settlement, I wonder if we can avoid
the "lawless" element that was so much a part of
earthly frontiers. On Earth, while life on the
frontier was not easy, one generally could live off
the land in isolation from others. On the Moon, the
frontier physically is much more deadly. I would
hope that this very real danger would cause a much
more highly developed sense of teamwork, partnering,
brotherhood, or, in a word, family among those that
would dare to venture out from mother Earth.
The physical constraints of early lunar
settlements will require a constant monitoring and
vigilance by each team member of the others supporting
technology to insure survival. Most all
endeavors, especially those related to "outside" will
have to be two or more person team efforts for safety
reasons. Hopefully a culture will develop from this
where each member's behavior is guided by a sensitivity
and concern for the welfare of each member of
the community at large. Crime, at least the personal,
violent types of crime should be relatively
rare. Not because of some rigid, police state
mentality, but because we recognize that we are
individually weak against a powerful and hostile
nature. Our only hope of survival is in viewing each
other as part of ourselves and caring for each other
as we care for our own flesh.
David Graham
Lunar bars
[cf. MMM # 87 JUL ‘95 p. 10, “The Brass Spittoon” -
republished in MMM Classics #9]
[from a post ll/19/’95 to artemis-digest@lunacity.com]
And at the Artemis Ireland reunions we can
sit around the turf fire screen saver and sing old
songs like The Rising of the Earth? And declare it a
bohdran free zone?
But there is a serious side to this. In the
earliest days it will be more like a wartime military
post. But as it grows into a frontier outpost, a good
pub will be important to sanity. And thought will
have to go into the design of it so that a good
tension releasing bar brawl will not leave anything
damaged that is either irreplaceable nor will it risk
the integrity of life support.
A frontier settlement has a psychology to it.
And although I don't want a bunch of social engineers
trying to apply academic theories to "designing" the
people and society there, I do think it is necessary
to apply common sense that any expedition head,
military leader or old time US sheriff would have.
People who go to frontiers have cut a lot of ties and
will have a burden of memories of things left behind;
they will be in an unforgiving environment in which a
slip on their part or that of another, or a random
failure in equipment or procedure can maim or kill;
there will be little to do but work and it will seem
like there is so much to be done that it is a
hopeless task; people you have grown to despise can
not be avoided; relationships that failed can never
be completely left behind... in general it will be a
high stress environment. This is not to say that
people will be going around frowning. Frontiers are
also exciting and fun. But the invisible stress still
builds and there must be socially acceptable outlets
for it. Otherwise we'll end up with a town full of
coronaries, neurotics and axe murderers.
So when I said "a good tension relieving bar
brawl", I meant just that. Anyone who has ever lived
in a seriously tense situation will understand all.
People in Northern Ireland are particularly familiar
with the both coping strategies and the results of
failure to do so.
Dale Amon.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
MMM #93 - MAR 1996
By the light of a smaller, dimmer, cooler Sun
fi RIGHT:
On Mars, the Sun is noticeably
smaller, less brilliant. The radiant
heat it sheds is not enough to warm
living things, or people. With no
ocean heat sink, it is far colder than
its greater distance from the Sun
would indicate. Solar collectors have
to be much larger in size.
‹ LEFT: On Earth, the Sun shines
bright and warm. Our generous
oceans act as a thermal sink for that
heat, providing an additional mean
boost of some 50˚ F (28˚C) over
where we’d be without them. Solar
collectors do not have to be overly
large to tap this energy further.
IN FOCUS Mars will require
a hardier breed of pioneer
Many people envision with enthusiasm an eventual
wholesale settlement and colonization of Mars, and I number
myself among them. In doing so, we carry forward what has
become a racial dream of our species throughout this century.
And we have done so, stubbornly, through revolution after
revolution in our perceptions about the Red Planet. Banished to
the realm of myth are the Mars of Edgar Rice Burroughs,
populated by green men and princesses and thoats, and the
Moon Miners’ Manifesto Classics - Year 10 - Republished January 2006 - Page 23