In an installment of fiction becoming fact, I was fascinated by a recent report that scientists have found underground caves on the Moon that could become protective habitats for future colonists. One is allegedly more than 100 yards deep. Researchers believe there may be hundreds of such caves.
One of the challenges of colonizing the Moon is the harmful rays from the Sun, unfiltered by any atmosphere, exposing the new residents to as much as 200 times the radiation we Earthborn beings suffer. It is so high on the Moon that survival will be impossible without significant shielding from the dangerous radiation. Hence the utility of the caves. They have built-in protection and are a lot cheaper than building structures.
These caves were central to the themes in my book, Dragon on the Far Side of the Moon, published in 2020. Back then, the existence of the caves was speculation. Now they’re a reality.
The plot in my book centered on the new space race between the United States and China to colonize the Moon. I’ve written many times about how China is ahead in the race, being the only country to land on the far side and return with samples. While these were not manned flights, the technology is far more advanced than the U.S. appreciates. Or at least officially appreciates.
The book addresses the many problems in living on the Moon, including the threats of radiation, the inhospitable landscape, and more. I explore how weapons work (and won’t work) in low gravity. I even cover the challenges of sex in such an environment!
I am gratified that history confirms the fictional depictions I used in the book. But I also fear where this race will end due to China’s commitment to win and the track record they show. Clearly, the race is near an end. If the U.S. wants to be a player in exploiting the Moon, it needs to wake up. It’s bad enough that NASA still has two astronauts stuck in the International Space Station because their Boeing-manufactured spacecraft is too damaged to return. Worse, the likelihood of getting to the Moon first is doubtful with all the delays and failures of the NASA timetable.