How to Cope With Reduced Weight on the Moon
Excerpt from “Why Knot?” Buy the book at Amazon
China, Japan, India, and the US are all now racing to put men on the moon. Unlike the first time around, the objective is to establish permanent bases. That raises the question of how well humans can cope long-term in the moon’s reduced gravity. We evolved on Earth to live in Earth gravity. A long-term change in gravity would affect bone mass, muscle tone, and the function of internal organs.
The moon’s gravity is about 1/6 that of Earth. So someone who weighs 180 lbs. on Earth would weigh just 30 lbs. on the Moon. In science fiction, the usual solution for weightlessness is magnetic boots or space ships and space stations that spin, so centripetal force substitutes for gravity. But those solutions would not make sense on the surface of the Moon.
Why not just add weight? For instance, a 180 lb. astronaut could wear a suit weighing 900 lbs., bringing the total weight to 1080 lbs. on Earth and 180 on the moon.
The extra weight need not be dead weight. It could include oxygen, water, and food; armor to protect against hazards such as meteorites, high-speed space debris, and cosmic rays; and high-tech gear that extends a person’s capabilities.
