Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:01,942 --> 00:00:03,810
After decades of study,
2
00:00:03,811 --> 00:00:06,075
it's become clear that the moon
3
00:00:06,076 --> 00:00:08,661
offers a wealth of valuable resources
4
00:00:08,662 --> 00:00:11,592
from water that can be
converted to rocket fuel
5
00:00:11,593 --> 00:00:14,370
to precious metals, rare earth elements,
6
00:00:14,371 --> 00:00:18,248
and more exotic materials such as helium-3,
7
00:00:18,249 --> 00:00:20,027
which could be a major ingredient
8
00:00:20,028 --> 00:00:23,573
in the fusion power of the future.
9
00:00:23,574 --> 00:00:26,274
They all add up to the creation of a new
10
00:00:26,275 --> 00:00:29,256
and lucrative industrial revolution,
11
00:00:29,257 --> 00:00:33,967
a revolution that some say
will eventually and inevitably
12
00:00:33,968 --> 00:00:37,807
lead to the colonization
of our nearest neighbor.
13
00:00:37,808 --> 00:00:40,558
(dramatic music)
14
00:00:49,178 --> 00:00:51,852
But that journey of
discovery and development
15
00:00:51,853 --> 00:00:53,913
is expected to be a long one,
16
00:00:53,914 --> 00:00:57,843
measured in many decades
rather than a few years
17
00:00:57,844 --> 00:00:59,430
and in the moon business,
18
00:00:59,431 --> 00:01:02,860
every step of the way will
follow a detailed plan
19
00:01:02,861 --> 00:01:06,611
known as the lunar exploration roadmap.
20
00:01:06,612 --> 00:01:09,708
From its inception,
the roadmap was designed
21
00:01:09,709 --> 00:01:14,060
to be incremental,
cumulative, and affordable.
22
00:01:14,061 --> 00:01:16,801
{\an8}So what we decided was
the way to do this is to
23
00:01:16,802 --> 00:01:19,169
{\an8}take advantage of one of the
biggest attributes of the moon
24
00:01:19,170 --> 00:01:21,229
{\an8}and that is that the moon is close.
25
00:01:21,230 --> 00:01:22,932
It's only a quarter of
a million miles away,
26
00:01:22,933 --> 00:01:24,877
400,000 kilometers.
27
00:01:24,878 --> 00:01:27,002
Round trip radio time is three seconds.
28
00:01:27,003 --> 00:01:30,074
So if I execute a command
for a machine on the moon,
29
00:01:30,075 --> 00:01:31,329
I'll see the reaction to that
30
00:01:31,330 --> 00:01:33,415
three seconds after I give the command.
31
00:01:33,416 --> 00:01:35,834
That's almost near real time.
32
00:01:35,835 --> 00:01:40,002
So our big idea is to send
a swarm of different robots
33
00:01:41,134 --> 00:01:43,556
all with different functions
to the poles of the moon
34
00:01:43,557 --> 00:01:47,588
and let them begin the
task of preparing the moon
35
00:01:47,589 --> 00:01:51,659
for habitation and to
start mining the water ice.
36
00:01:51,660 --> 00:01:54,989
So the first missions go
and prospect the moon.
37
00:01:54,990 --> 00:01:57,997
I want to know where the highest
grade water deposits are,
38
00:01:57,998 --> 00:01:59,341
I want to know where the near permanent
39
00:01:59,342 --> 00:02:01,005
sunlight regions are.
40
00:02:01,006 --> 00:02:03,680
Those are the zones where I'm
going to set up my equipment,
41
00:02:03,681 --> 00:02:06,829
those are the zones where I'm
going to put down my outpost.
42
00:02:06,830 --> 00:02:10,426
Each robot will be operated
by an operator on the other.
43
00:02:10,427 --> 00:02:13,383
They'll be teleoperated,
they won't be autonomous.
44
00:02:13,384 --> 00:02:15,661
These operators will steer the machines,
45
00:02:15,662 --> 00:02:17,926
they'll lead them into the
areas where they're gonna work
46
00:02:17,927 --> 00:02:21,101
and they will supervise the
work through remote control.
47
00:02:21,102 --> 00:02:23,998
So over time, we build up more and more
48
00:02:23,999 --> 00:02:25,999
of these robotic assets.
49
00:02:26,864 --> 00:02:30,796
In our architecture,
we plan to send two missions per year.
50
00:02:30,797 --> 00:02:35,089
So we're landing two robotic
assets at the poles every year.
51
00:02:35,090 --> 00:02:36,766
By the time we get to year eight,
52
00:02:36,767 --> 00:02:40,887
we have largely have a
completely up and running system
53
00:02:40,888 --> 00:02:43,114
that's harvesting water probably at a rate
54
00:02:43,115 --> 00:02:45,457
of about 100 metric tons per year.
55
00:02:45,458 --> 00:02:48,631
It's not very much,
but that's enough to make the fuel
56
00:02:48,632 --> 00:02:50,359
that would allow you to go to and from
57
00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:52,842
the lunar surface with a lander.
58
00:02:52,843 --> 00:02:54,430
Every year we're adding assets,
59
00:02:54,431 --> 00:02:57,834
every year we're increasing
the amount of water we produce.
60
00:02:57,835 --> 00:03:00,114
At one point, we send the habitat,
61
00:03:00,115 --> 00:03:02,782
the robots assemble that, they install it,
62
00:03:02,783 --> 00:03:06,148
they put the pieces together,
they run power to it
63
00:03:06,149 --> 00:03:09,105
and then finally ready to receive people
64
00:03:09,106 --> 00:03:11,064
and I think our first arrival of people
65
00:03:11,065 --> 00:03:14,547
comes about nine years after
the robots have started work.
66
00:03:14,548 --> 00:03:17,196
They will initially
stay for only a few days
67
00:03:17,197 --> 00:03:18,566
just to make sure everything's running
68
00:03:18,567 --> 00:03:23,545
and plant the flag and pet
the robots on the back,
69
00:03:23,546 --> 00:03:25,363
tell them to keep up the good work
70
00:03:25,364 --> 00:03:27,439
and then but eventually our goal
71
00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,280
is to have rotating crews of four
72
00:03:30,281 --> 00:03:33,672
that come twice a year
and stay for 90 days each.
73
00:03:33,673 --> 00:03:35,491
Dr. Spudis calculates that
74
00:03:35,492 --> 00:03:39,779
the break-even point for
his plan comes at year 16
75
00:03:39,780 --> 00:03:44,362
when his plant is generating
over 150 tons of water,
76
00:03:44,363 --> 00:03:47,510
which in turn is being
converted to liquid hydrogen
77
00:03:47,511 --> 00:03:50,301
and liquid oxygen for rocket fuel.
78
00:03:50,302 --> 00:03:53,642
But many international
moon watchers suspect
79
00:03:53,643 --> 00:03:56,509
that by that time, other outposts will also
80
00:03:56,510 --> 00:03:59,658
have been established across the moon.
81
00:03:59,659 --> 00:04:03,498
A number of spacefaring
nations have made it clear
82
00:04:03,499 --> 00:04:07,709
that they intend to plant
their own boots on the moon.
83
00:04:07,710 --> 00:04:10,832
The Chinese, the Russians,
and the Europeans
84
00:04:10,833 --> 00:04:13,981
all have well-developed
proposals for settling there,
85
00:04:13,982 --> 00:04:16,707
all employing their own
distinctive approach
86
00:04:16,708 --> 00:04:19,357
to habitat construction.
87
00:04:19,358 --> 00:04:22,365
One of the most imaginative
has been suggested
88
00:04:22,366 --> 00:04:25,322
by the European Space Agency
89
00:04:25,323 --> 00:04:27,907
targeted on the moon's south pole.
90
00:04:27,908 --> 00:04:30,480
The plan calls for two relatively new
91
00:04:30,481 --> 00:04:32,810
technologies to work together,
92
00:04:32,811 --> 00:04:36,880
autonomous robotics
combined with 3D printing.
93
00:04:36,881 --> 00:04:39,760
The habitat is contained within a cylinder,
94
00:04:39,761 --> 00:04:43,783
which will be positioned
on the lunar surface.
95
00:04:43,784 --> 00:04:46,906
Inside the cylinder is an inflatable dome
96
00:04:46,907 --> 00:04:51,074
that will form the internal
scaffolding of the habitat.
97
00:04:52,398 --> 00:04:55,789
Two robotic printing
machines will set to work
98
00:04:55,790 --> 00:04:59,957
covering the inflated dome
with lunar dust or regolith.
99
00:05:00,949 --> 00:05:03,048
As they work, the 3D printing head
100
00:05:03,049 --> 00:05:06,197
will stabilize the regolith with resin,
101
00:05:06,198 --> 00:05:09,602
creating a honeycomb of
rigid membranes that resemble
102
00:05:09,603 --> 00:05:13,686
the internal structure of
bone, light but strong.
103
00:05:15,029 --> 00:05:18,958
The whole process is expected
to take about three months
104
00:05:18,959 --> 00:05:21,890
by the tend of which time
the dome will be covered
105
00:05:21,891 --> 00:05:24,782
in two meters of bonded regolith,
106
00:05:24,783 --> 00:05:26,318
which will protect the inhabitants
107
00:05:26,319 --> 00:05:29,275
from meteoroids and radiation.
108
00:05:29,276 --> 00:05:31,106
While maintaining a breathable,
109
00:05:31,107 --> 00:05:33,704
temperature-controlled atmosphere,
110
00:05:33,705 --> 00:05:36,930
the cylinder which contained
the inflatable habitat
111
00:05:36,931 --> 00:05:40,258
now acts as the airlock
for which the astronauts
112
00:05:40,259 --> 00:05:43,432
can come and go as they please.
113
00:05:43,433 --> 00:05:45,659
Eventually, a number of these habitats
114
00:05:45,660 --> 00:05:48,334
can be constructed and linked together,
115
00:05:48,335 --> 00:05:52,405
creating what has been
described as a lunar village.
116
00:05:52,406 --> 00:05:54,696
The idea of using lunar regolith
117
00:05:54,697 --> 00:05:56,386
to shield and protect habitats
118
00:05:56,387 --> 00:05:59,739
from the harsh lunar
environment is not new.
119
00:05:59,740 --> 00:06:02,773
Engineers and architects
created detailed plans
120
00:06:02,774 --> 00:06:07,061
in the 1980s to demonstrate the principle.
121
00:06:07,062 --> 00:06:09,096
The problem they faced, however,
122
00:06:09,097 --> 00:06:11,323
was that the technologies didn't exist
123
00:06:11,324 --> 00:06:14,165
to achieve their ambitious plans
124
00:06:14,166 --> 00:06:15,611
although they did know,
125
00:06:15,612 --> 00:06:18,658
thanks to the material
brought back by Apollo,
126
00:06:18,659 --> 00:06:21,000
that lunar regolith just might turn out
127
00:06:21,001 --> 00:06:24,341
to be a rather useful building material.
128
00:06:24,342 --> 00:06:26,824
There were experiments done in the 1980s
129
00:06:26,825 --> 00:06:31,112
where people took lunar
material and microwaved it
130
00:06:31,113 --> 00:06:34,312
and it actually forms a
very nice cinder material,
131
00:06:34,313 --> 00:06:36,771
very nice ceramic kind of aggregate.
132
00:06:36,772 --> 00:06:38,588
Another person took a lunar material
133
00:06:38,589 --> 00:06:40,291
and made concrete out of it.
134
00:06:40,292 --> 00:06:42,288
He added earth water to lunar soil
135
00:06:42,289 --> 00:06:45,500
and actually made concrete
and it held up very well,
136
00:06:45,501 --> 00:06:48,892
very fine grain, very good concrete.
137
00:06:48,893 --> 00:06:51,939
So there have been experiments with it,
138
00:06:51,940 --> 00:06:54,640
but of course no one has built
anything with it on the moon.
139
00:06:54,641 --> 00:06:56,700
So that's the simplest kind of product
140
00:06:56,701 --> 00:06:58,851
you might get from the moon.
141
00:06:58,852 --> 00:07:01,219
But simple, homegrown concrete
142
00:07:01,220 --> 00:07:05,387
is far from being the only
valuable resource on the moon.
143
00:07:06,621 --> 00:07:10,742
Surveys have shown that moon
dust is rich in platinum,
144
00:07:10,743 --> 00:07:13,993
titanium, gold, and rare earth elements
145
00:07:14,938 --> 00:07:17,860
crucial to the semiconductor industry.
146
00:07:17,861 --> 00:07:21,879
Initial analysis suggests
that many of these products
147
00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:23,991
exist in concentrations that would make
148
00:07:23,992 --> 00:07:26,078
extracting them from the moon
149
00:07:26,079 --> 00:07:30,596
to be at least as profitable
as mining them on Earth,
150
00:07:30,597 --> 00:07:33,668
but there's one substance
that moon dust contains
151
00:07:33,669 --> 00:07:36,561
that can't easily be found on Earth.
152
00:07:36,562 --> 00:07:38,737
It's thought to be a possible key
153
00:07:38,738 --> 00:07:42,359
to fueling future nuclear fusion reactors
154
00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:46,527
and it's a rare isotope of
helium known as helium-3.
155
00:07:48,491 --> 00:07:51,434
Valued at over three billion a ton,
156
00:07:51,435 --> 00:07:55,594
it's the most costly
substance known to man.
157
00:07:55,595 --> 00:07:58,436
Just 100 kilos of helium-3
158
00:07:58,437 --> 00:08:01,559
could power a major city for over a year,
159
00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:04,055
which is why multi-national corporations
160
00:08:04,056 --> 00:08:07,178
as well as nations are
studying the viability
161
00:08:07,179 --> 00:08:11,063
of setting up their own
outposts on the moon.
162
00:08:11,064 --> 00:08:13,150
So this has been looked at in some detail
163
00:08:13,151 --> 00:08:17,156
and it's not totally crazy, it can be done.
164
00:08:17,157 --> 00:08:19,870
It's estimated that the amount of helium-3
165
00:08:19,871 --> 00:08:21,930
that would fill a shuttle cargo bay,
166
00:08:21,931 --> 00:08:24,874
which is about 20 metric tons,
167
00:08:24,875 --> 00:08:28,138
would provide the entire energy consumption
168
00:08:28,139 --> 00:08:30,263
of the United States for one year.
169
00:08:30,264 --> 00:08:34,602
So helium-3 is potentially
a source of fuel to generate
170
00:08:34,603 --> 00:08:38,508
commercial electrical power
sometime in the future
171
00:08:38,509 --> 00:08:41,093
after all these engineering
problems are solved,
172
00:08:41,094 --> 00:08:42,680
but they're not solved yet.
173
00:08:42,681 --> 00:08:43,832
So these are some of the things
174
00:08:43,833 --> 00:08:46,175
you can imagine coming from the moon.
175
00:08:46,176 --> 00:08:48,376
Water is the first thing
because it's the easiest
176
00:08:48,377 --> 00:08:50,156
and it's initially the most valuable,
177
00:08:50,157 --> 00:08:51,884
but a wide variety of other products
178
00:08:51,885 --> 00:08:54,968
can be made from the moon as well.
179
00:08:54,969 --> 00:08:58,092
The two-decade long
lunar exploration roadmap
180
00:08:58,093 --> 00:09:00,426
is ambitious, yet practical,
181
00:09:01,305 --> 00:09:04,837
visionary, yet carefully pedestrian.
182
00:09:04,838 --> 00:09:07,768
It requires the slow,
incremental development
183
00:09:07,769 --> 00:09:10,994
of capabilities on the
moon, much of it benefiting
184
00:09:10,995 --> 00:09:14,258
from evolving 21st century technologies
185
00:09:14,259 --> 00:09:19,109
such as semi-autonomous
robotics and 3D construction.
186
00:09:19,110 --> 00:09:21,144
It also involves a bold view
187
00:09:21,145 --> 00:09:24,293
of humanity's place in the cosmos.
188
00:09:24,294 --> 00:09:26,290
Two or three decades from now,
189
00:09:26,291 --> 00:09:29,938
space may be buzzing with activity.
190
00:09:29,939 --> 00:09:32,536
So what do you have at
the end of this time?
191
00:09:32,537 --> 00:09:34,981
You have a working outpost on the moon
192
00:09:34,982 --> 00:09:37,580
that's largely operated by machines
193
00:09:37,581 --> 00:09:39,748
controlled from the earth,
194
00:09:40,870 --> 00:09:44,261
you have permanent transportation elements
195
00:09:44,262 --> 00:09:45,823
that are going back and forth,
196
00:09:45,824 --> 00:09:47,308
the transfer ship is going from
197
00:09:47,309 --> 00:09:50,124
low lunar orbit to low earth orbit,
198
00:09:50,125 --> 00:09:52,261
the other rockets are carrying crews
199
00:09:52,262 --> 00:09:54,412
to and from the space station,
200
00:09:54,413 --> 00:09:56,972
they're transferring,
they're going up to low lunar orbit,
201
00:09:56,973 --> 00:09:57,894
they're transferring to land
202
00:09:57,895 --> 00:10:00,146
or they're going down to the surface.
203
00:10:00,147 --> 00:10:02,821
All of those different
activities are supported
204
00:10:02,822 --> 00:10:04,882
because I now have a transportation system
205
00:10:04,883 --> 00:10:07,314
that can get people and cargo and machines
206
00:10:07,315 --> 00:10:09,065
wherever I need them.
207
00:10:12,294 --> 00:10:14,520
All this works in theory.
208
00:10:14,521 --> 00:10:16,287
It works on paper.
209
00:10:16,288 --> 00:10:17,810
But no one's ever done it.
210
00:10:17,811 --> 00:10:19,718
No one's ever built a big system,
211
00:10:19,719 --> 00:10:21,754
a system from small robotic elements.
212
00:10:21,755 --> 00:10:24,122
Nobody's ever extracted water
213
00:10:24,123 --> 00:10:25,632
from extraterrestrial materials
214
00:10:25,633 --> 00:10:28,218
and then used it in some application.
215
00:10:28,219 --> 00:10:30,112
Nobody has ever put together
216
00:10:30,113 --> 00:10:31,699
an outpost on a planetary service
217
00:10:31,700 --> 00:10:35,322
using robotic machines
controlled from somewhere else.
218
00:10:35,323 --> 00:10:38,330
Yeah, it all works in theory,
but does it work in practice
219
00:10:38,331 --> 00:10:40,838
and if it does work in
practice, what are the pitfalls,
220
00:10:40,839 --> 00:10:42,234
what are the problems,
221
00:10:42,235 --> 00:10:45,402
what big difficulty have we overlooked
222
00:10:46,612 --> 00:10:47,573
because there's no doubt in my mind
223
00:10:47,574 --> 00:10:50,158
that we have overlooked some difficulty
224
00:10:50,159 --> 00:10:52,052
and that's why you need
to have NASA do that
225
00:10:52,053 --> 00:10:53,921
because that's what NASA's in business for.
226
00:10:53,922 --> 00:10:55,124
They are in business to do
227
00:10:55,125 --> 00:10:57,262
engineering research and development
228
00:10:57,263 --> 00:10:59,771
and this is an engineering R and D project.
229
00:10:59,772 --> 00:11:03,150
You're going back to the
moon, not to mine the moon,
230
00:11:03,151 --> 00:11:06,017
but to determine if the moon can be mined.
231
00:11:06,018 --> 00:11:09,499
On July 21st, 2069,
232
00:11:09,500 --> 00:11:13,006
it will be exactly 100
years since Neil Armstrong
233
00:11:13,007 --> 00:11:16,219
became the first human
to set foot on the moon.
234
00:11:16,220 --> 00:11:19,387
{\an8}That's one step for man,
235
00:11:21,379 --> 00:11:24,004
{\an8}one giant leap for mankind.
236
00:11:24,005 --> 00:11:26,538
{\an8}And by 2069,
237
00:11:26,539 --> 00:11:28,356
if the lunar exploration roadmap
238
00:11:28,357 --> 00:11:30,391
plays out according to plan,
239
00:11:30,392 --> 00:11:32,900
mankind will have returned to the moon
240
00:11:32,901 --> 00:11:35,460
and will have been developing its potential
241
00:11:35,461 --> 00:11:37,904
as a source of water, rocket fuel,
242
00:11:37,905 --> 00:11:41,238
metals, rare earth minerals and helium-3
243
00:11:42,142 --> 00:11:43,975
for over four decades.
244
00:11:44,984 --> 00:11:47,210
The population on the moon will have grown
245
00:11:47,211 --> 00:11:50,704
to include not only
astronauts and engineers,
246
00:11:50,705 --> 00:11:54,205
but doctors, managers, farmers, and chefs.
247
00:11:55,582 --> 00:11:59,562
People will be choosing to
live permanently on the moon,
248
00:11:59,563 --> 00:12:03,735
a crucial milestone in Dr. Spudis' opinion.
249
00:12:03,736 --> 00:12:05,975
That's when the lunar
outpost becomes a colony,
250
00:12:05,976 --> 00:12:09,866
when you have inhabitants that
live there by choice forever.
251
00:12:09,867 --> 00:12:12,068
Now at what point might that be?
252
00:12:12,069 --> 00:12:14,973
Well I would think that it
would probably be at a point
253
00:12:14,974 --> 00:12:17,725
where you've got a significant
number of people involved
254
00:12:17,726 --> 00:12:20,285
doing a wide variety
of different activities
255
00:12:20,286 --> 00:12:22,869
and you are exporting a product
256
00:12:23,932 --> 00:12:25,932
that's actually making money.
257
00:12:25,933 --> 00:12:29,107
If you have a foothold on the moon
258
00:12:29,108 --> 00:12:31,193
and you for example you're mining water
259
00:12:31,194 --> 00:12:33,228
and you have a company that has the rights
260
00:12:33,229 --> 00:12:35,951
to export that and sell that product
261
00:12:35,952 --> 00:12:38,836
to various users in cislunar space,
262
00:12:38,837 --> 00:12:40,961
then you may decide
well I'll just stay here
263
00:12:40,962 --> 00:12:43,572
to make sure that my
operation runs smoothly.
264
00:12:43,573 --> 00:12:44,865
Is that a colonist?
265
00:12:44,866 --> 00:12:47,066
I would argue that you are
266
00:12:47,067 --> 00:12:49,153
because effectively you decided
267
00:12:49,154 --> 00:12:52,468
for reasons that are
perfectly understandable
268
00:12:52,469 --> 00:12:54,695
that you need to live on the moon.
269
00:12:54,696 --> 00:12:55,732
You need to be there to make sure
270
00:12:55,733 --> 00:12:57,588
your business operates correctly.
271
00:12:57,589 --> 00:12:59,150
So you're a colonist.
272
00:12:59,151 --> 00:13:02,721
So the transition from
an outpost to a base.
273
00:13:02,722 --> 00:13:04,526
A base is just a big outpost,
274
00:13:04,527 --> 00:13:07,496
these things are very flexible definitions.
275
00:13:07,497 --> 00:13:09,391
But a colony implies permanence.
276
00:13:09,392 --> 00:13:11,029
It implies that you're going to live there.
277
00:13:11,030 --> 00:13:15,018
It implies perhaps your family
will live there with you.
278
00:13:15,019 --> 00:13:17,436
That may be sometime off yet.
279
00:13:18,865 --> 00:13:20,848
And what of the possible pitfalls
280
00:13:20,849 --> 00:13:24,074
that Dr. Spudis expects to encounter?
281
00:13:24,075 --> 00:13:26,698
Some would argue that the sheer hostility
282
00:13:26,699 --> 00:13:29,091
of the moon's environment combined with
283
00:13:29,092 --> 00:13:33,238
its fractional gravity,
barely 1/6 of Earth's,
284
00:13:33,239 --> 00:13:35,504
are hazards that can't be ignored
285
00:13:35,505 --> 00:13:39,672
if people are to survive and
thrive on tomorrow's moon.
286
00:13:40,574 --> 00:13:43,324
(dramatic music)
22884
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.