this post was submitted on 20 Aug 2023
818 points (98.5% liked)

Space

8748 readers
143 users here now

Share & discuss informative content on: Astrophysics, Cosmology, Space Exploration, Planetary Science and Astrobiology.


Rules

  1. Be respectful and inclusive.
  2. No harassment, hate speech, or trolling.
  3. Engage in constructive discussions.
  4. Share relevant content.
  5. Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.
  6. Use appropriate language and tone.
  7. Report violations.
  8. Foster a continuous learning environment.

Picture of the Day

The Busy Center of the Lagoon Nebula


Related Communities

๐Ÿ”ญ Science

๐Ÿš€ Engineering

๐ŸŒŒ Art and Photography


Other Cool Links

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft has crashed into the Moon after spinning into an uncontrolled orbit, officials say.

The unmanned craft was due to make a soft landing on the Moon's south pole, but failed after encountering issues as it moved into its pre-landing orbit.

It was Russia's first Moon mission in almost 50 years.

The spacecraft was scheduled to land on Monday to explore a part of the Moon which scientists think could hold frozen water and precious elements.

Roskosmos, Russia's state space corporation, said it lost contact with the Luna-25 shortly after running into difficulties.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[โ€“] Anticorp@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

which scientists think could hold frozen water and precious elements

Oh great. We're going to start destroying the moon now too?

[โ€“] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 10 points 1 year ago (3 children)

It's a rock with no air and no life. How can we hurt it?

[โ€“] bitsplease@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah between all the other alternatives I think strip mining the moon is pretty OK. It's not as good as doing nothing - but I'd rather do it on a body with no ecosphere instead of destroying habitats

[โ€“] GoosLife@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Why is it not as good as doing nothing? What benefit is there to not doing it? I mean, I could get surface preservation and keeping the moon pretty for the sake of humanity... But it sounds like there's any inherent value in not doing it?

[โ€“] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You know those pictures taken from the Moon of the Earth? The ones where you can barely make out big islands like Cuba?

No one on the Earth will know anything is going on up there unless they have a very powerful telescope.

[โ€“] GoosLife@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah, that's true. We would be talking about terraforming projects on an enormous scale, unlike anything we've seen before.

What I'm saying is just that, if it came to that, I can understand wanting to preserve the surface of the moon, for sentimental and/or historical, human reasons, even though preserving the surface also doesn't provide any real, practical benefit.

[โ€“] bitsplease@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm not arguing we shouldn't, but the "ideal" scenario with any natural resource is always to preserve it in my book

But this is certainly a case imo where the upsides would outweigh the downsides

[โ€“] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why? I can point out reason why preserving some wetlands is a good thing by pointing to plants and animals and humans. Something is only good because something benefits from it. Nothing is intrinsically good or bad.

It is a dead lifeless airless rock in space. Who suffers if a billionth of a percent of it is used for something?

[โ€“] bitsplease@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

I think you're entirely misunderstanding my meaning and sentiment, given that I don't disagree with anything in your comment

[โ€“] linearchaos@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You need to read more science fiction.

Lucifer's Hammer or Seven Eves might be in order :)

[โ€“] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

I have read both. In 'Seveneves' the Moon breaks apart for no known reason and in 'Lucifer's Hammer' it's not the Moon that impacts the Earth.

[โ€“] theodewere@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

are you saying we can't find a way to ruin that thing for future life.. hold my lunar module, son..

[โ€“] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

WTF is 'future life?'

No air, no water, either blasted by unfiltered sunlight or near absolute zero. It's a lifeless rock.

[โ€“] theodewere@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

okay how about this.. we develop terraforming tech in the near future, but something we're doing to the surface water there now (for example), spoils this process forever on our own Moon.. because WE weren't careful and polluted the environment for them.. i think that sounds like something we could accomplish..

[โ€“] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The 'water' on the Moon is ice buried below the surface.

There is nothing up there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon

[โ€“] theodewere@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

i'm gonna write that down alright.. you're very helpful..

It's the moon. There is no life there.