A Week on The Moon: A Step on The Road to Greater Knowledge

The weeklong Moon Pod Crew would consist of six astronauts, preferably veterans: a mechanical engineer with experience in aerospace concepts, a chemical engineer with knowledge of chemistry, physics, and microbiology, an electrical engineer who could repair the Moon Pod’s software in an emergency, a physician with a background in orthopedics and biochemistry, a botanist with experience in hydroponics to study the effects of decreased gravity on plant growth during the week, and a geologist to analyze soil samples and learn from the Moon’s regolith. The technology that I would leave behind would be a sensitive LiDAR sensor paired with ground-penetrating radar. This sensor would use blue wavelengths to get an extremely accurate reading of surface regolith which may lead to clues of where water and minerals would be found. The second component of this technology would be the ground-penetrating radar which would send electromagnetic radar pulses into the moon’s surface. This unique pairing would result in surface markers of areas with potential resources and an accurate map of exactly where they are. The unique combination of attributes this team provides would ensure the successful application of this technology, providing a stepping stone for future missions and scientific knowledge.