Draft lunar exploration roadmap

[JonClarke]

LEAG (Lunar Exploration Analysis Group) has released the first draft of the lunar exploration road map

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/leag/ler_draft.shtml

Nice mix of exploration R&D, lunar science, space science, astronomy, and basic science objectives.

Jon

[newpapyrus]

I like the fact that they consider the establishment of a lunar outpost as a high priority. I would argue that we need astronauts willing to stay continuously at such outpost for at least a year in order to determine if the 1/6 lunar hypogravity environment is deleterious to human health.

If it turns out that humans can adapt to such a low gravity environment without any significant health effects then colonizing Mars could be a realistic option for the human species since the Martian environment has an even higher gravity and all of the natural resources necessary for human survival and industrialization.