Friday
Here is another article which puts some more meat on the rumourous bones.
Bangalore: Water on the moon could be just the proverbial "tip of the iceberg" that India's very own Chandrayaan-1 has discovered. According to scientists involved closely with the project, instruments on the spacecraft have for the first time found strong indications of "indigenous" ice formations on the moon surface and sub-surface.
I can hardly wait to sit back at the Lunar Bigelow and sip my Lunar Margarita.
Can anyone tell me what "indigenous" ice formation might be? A journalist who doesn't know what he's talking about, perhaps.
In any case, Dale, I hope to be there to enjoy that drink with you (I assume it's a drink, I don't know what a Bigelow and a Margaretta are either).
Posted by CIngram at October 2, 2009 03:42 PM
Bigelow is the hotel guy in Las Vegas who makes inflatable habitats and has two test articles in orbit right now; a margaretta is a mistype I missed.
Posted by Dale Amon at October 2, 2009 05:19 PM
Yes, but I bet that, up there, they don't have any little pleated umbrellas to put in your margarita ...
Posted by Verity at October 2, 2009 09:47 PM
Well, I take your point, Alisa, but being on the moon, what if they had wittily ordered a Tequila Sunrise and couldn't get a colourful pleated little paper umbrella on a toothpick for their drink? It could wreck the whole experience.
Also, the salt for the margaritas, would that be rock salt?
Posted by Verity at October 3, 2009 12:17 AM
what if they had wittily ordered a Tequila Sunrise and couldn't get a colourful pleated little paper umbrella on a toothpick for their drink?That would be a feature, not a bug.
Posted by Alisa at October 3, 2009 12:50 AM
Umbrellas?
Just so long as the tequila, limes and triple sec are all native I don't need no stinkin umbrellas.
Although, lacking triple sec I will be happy to settle for Grand Marnier or Cointreau.
JUST SO LONG AS THEY ARE NATIVE.
After all, who could afford the imported stuff?
Posted by CountingCats at October 3, 2009 02:20 AM
It was a mistake. I was thinking of those ghastly tropical drinks. Although Margaritas are pretty ghastly too.
Posted by Verity at October 3, 2009 09:34 PM
How about a rum punch? That actually has water in it (one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak, since you asked)
Posted by Malcolm at October 3, 2009 09:52 PM
Well, being serious. It will be a long time before the lunar colony will be able to do better than a chemistry department undergrad boozeup - fruit juice mixed with laboratory grade ethanol.
Still, bring it on.
Posted by CountingCats at October 4, 2009 06:36 AM
When should we send up the first batch of ice miners? Gotta get started early!
Posted by Greg at October 5, 2009 08:09 AM
The Earth is running out of water! THIS could be what other planets are good for- sending water back to Earth! Set up a solar-powered slingshot, and aim the ice at Earth at high speed! Time it to skim across the atmosphere, melting as it goes, until it has joined Earth's atmosphere.
Or, bring it back by shuttle. Have a fuel tank in the cargo-bay, so the shuttle can get to the moon, then jettison the tank, and fill the cargo-bay with moon-ice. The shuttle could land at any airport whose country needed the water most. Earth saved!
Posted by Nuke Gray at October 6, 2009 06:33 AM
