The Moon is the Earth's only natural satellite and the first stop for human exploration of space. Recently, Ouyang Ziyuan, the first chief scientist of China's lunar exploration program and the "father of Chang'e", participated in the "2024 NetEase Economists Annual Meeting", and he said at the event that the moon had run out of energy 2 billion years ago, leaving only a shell. But this does not mean that the Moon is not valuable to humans, on the contrary, it has abundant resources and great potential to provide humanity with opportunities for energy, science, and exploration. This article will introduce the formation and death of the Moon, as well as its significance to humanity, including the construction of experimental bases, resource development, and transit stations for interplanetary exploration.
The formation of the Moon is a complex and mysterious process, and the most widely accepted theory at the moment is:The Big Crash Hypothesis, that is, 4.5 billion years ago, a planet the size of Mars collided violently with the Earth, tearing out part of the Earth's material, which gradually coalesced into the Moon under the gravitational pull of the Earth. When the Moon first formed, the surface was a sea of lava with temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees Celsius, and over time, the Moon gradually cooled and formed a hard crust. The internal structure of the Moon is roughly divided into three layers, which are:EnclosureMantlewithCore。The outer shell is the outermost layer of the Moon, about 50 kilometers thick, and is composed mainly of silicate rocks, with a surface covered with craters and fissures, all of which are the result of impacts from the solar wind, meteor showers, and other celestial bodies. The Earth's mantle, the middle layer of the Moon, is about 1,000 kilometers thick, composed mainly of rocks rich in iron and magnesium, and has a temperature of about 1,400 degrees Celsius. The core is the innermost layer of the Moon, with a radius of about 350 kilometers, composed mainly of iron and nickel, and a temperature of about 1600 degrees Celsius. The core of the Moon is solid, and there is no liquid outer core of the Earth, so the Moon does not have a geomagnetic field and does not have a magnetosphere that protects the Moon from the solar wind.
The death of the moon refers to the cessation of the geological activity of the moon, that is, the internal energy of the moon is exhausted, and it is unable to produce phenomena such as volcanoes and plate movements. According to the analysis of the "lunar soil" brought back by Chinese scientists through Chang'e-5, it has been successfully proved that the moon is in 19Magmatic activity still existed 600 million years ago, setting a new time for the moon's death. Previous studies have suggested that the moon died 3 billion years ago, when the moon's mantle was completely solidified and unable to produce magma. However, samples from Chang'e-5 show that the moon's mantle is at 19600 million years ago, there were still parts of it that were liquid and could erupt to the surface of the moon through fissures, forming some young volcanic rocks. This shows that the death process of the moon is a slow and long process, not a one-time event. The cause of death on the Moon is mainly due to the fact that the Moon is too small to retain enough internal heat, causing the Moon's core and mantle to gradually cool and solidify, losing power**. In addition, the distance between the Moon and the Earth is also increasing, from the original 2250,000 km has increased to the current 3840,000 kilometers, which also weakens the tidal effect of the earth on the moon, so that the rotation speed and revolution speed of the moon tend to be synchronized, that is, one side of the moon is always facing the earth, which also reduces the internal friction and heat of the moon.
Although the Moon is dead, this does not mean that the Moon is not valuable to humans, on the contrary, it has abundant resources and great potential to provide humanity with opportunities for energy, science, and exploration. The following is the significance of the Moon to mankind, including the construction of experimental bases, resource development, and transit stations for interplanetary exploration.
The Moon is Earth's closest neighbor and the first stop for human exploration of space. Since the Soviet Union's Luna 1 flew by the moon in 1959, mankind has begun to explore the moon, first by unmanned probes and then by manned landings on the moon. So far, 12 astronauts have landed on the moon, the last of which was the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. On the moon, humans can conduct various scientific experiments, such as observing the Milky Way, detecting the earth's environment, predicting major changes in the earth's environment, and so on. The gravity on the Moon is only one-sixth that of the Earth, which also provides a unique physical environment for humans to study the effects of gravity on life and matter, as well as to develop new technologies and materials. In the subsequent lunar exploration project, our task is to establish a lunar research station, then carry out a manned landing on the moon, and finally build a lunar base. In 2030, we will almost complete the unmanned lunar exploration program, followed by a scientific research station on the moon. This scientific research station will be a long-term, multi-functional, and international cooperation platform, which can provide more scientific data and technical support for mankind. In 2040, we will achieve a manned landing on the moon, which will be a major milestone in human history and will open a new chapter in human space exploration. In 2050, we will build a lunar base on the Moon, which will be a second home for humanity in space and a springboard for humanity to reach more distant planets and galaxies.
The moon has no atmosphere, the environment is harsh, and there are very rich solar energy resources. Some people have calculated that the energy of solar radiation that reaches the moon every year is equivalent to 25,000 times the annual energy consumption of the earth, as long as a small part of the solar energy is transmitted from the moon to the earth, then it is possible for us to say goodbye to fossil energy and truly achieve clean energy. In addition to solar energy, the moon also has abundant helium-3 resources. According to measurements, there are 17019420382189499429 1.03 million tons of helium-3 in the lunar soil, and if these helium-3 are used as nuclear fusion raw materials for nuclear fusion power generation, they can solve the energy needs of human society in the next 10,000 years. Helium-3 is a rare isotope that is almost non-existent on Earth, while there are large reserves on the Moon because the Moon does not have an atmosphere and can directly receive helium-3 from the solar wind, while helium-3 on Earth is blocked by the magnetosphere and atmosphere. The nuclear fusion reaction of helium-3 is an ideal way of energy, it does not produce radioactive waste, it does not cause environmental pollution, and it is very efficient, it can produce 19 per ton of helium-3600 million kilowatt hours of electricity is equivalent to the energy of burning 8 million tons of coal. At present, human beings have not achieved nuclear fusion of helium-3, but this does not prevent us from developing and utilizing helium-3 on the moon, we can collect soil on the surface of the moon through unmanned or manned lunar rovers, and then transport it back to Earth, or build a nuclear fusion power station on the moon to transmit electricity to the earth by means of microwaves or lasers.
The Moon's gravitational pull is very small, only one-sixth that of Earth, so launching a rocket on the Moon also consumes much less energy than on Earth, and it can be turned into a transit point for Mars or deep space exploration. Mars is one of the most likely planets for humans to migrate, with Earth-like rotation cycles, inclinations, and seasonal variations, as well as a thin atmosphere and water. However, Mars is very far from Earth, with an average distance of about 22.5 billion kilometers, while the Moon is only 3840,000 kilometers, if we first deliver rockets and supplies to the moon, and then launch from the moon to Mars, we can save a lot of fuel and costs, and can also reduce a lot of risks and difficulties. In the same way, if we want to explore more distant planets and galaxies, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and even planets outside the solar system, we can also use the moon as a springboard and the moon as a spaceport to facilitate and guarantee human space exploration.
The Moon is a dead planet, but it has infinite value. The formation and death of the moon reveals the evolutionary history of the solar system and provides a unique astronomical observation platform for mankind. The resources and potential of the Moon could provide humanity with opportunities for energy, science, and exploration. The position and gravitational pull of the Moon can provide humans with a transit point for interplanetary exploration. The moon is humanity's second home and the gateway to space. We should cherish and make good use of the moon and let it contribute to human civilization and progress. Chang'e's father, Ouyang Ziyuan, said that the moon was dead