Construction of Prototype Lunar Base Proposed for Hawaii
HILO, Hawaii (PISCES PR) — During the Hawai’i Aerospace Summit in Honolulu last October, PISCES Board Chairperson and entrepreneur Henk Rogers called for the construction of a prototype lunar base on the Big Island that could catapult the State of Hawai’i into the frontlines of the global aerospace industry.
Rogers envisions a collaborative effort of multinational companies and agencies to create this facility, ultimately allowing humans to get a realistic feel for a lunar base environment while testing the technologies and protocols needed to make it a success on the moon. Here he delves into his vision for a lunar base in Hawai’i – one small step that could result in a giant leap for mankind.
With a rich history in providing support for NASA’s Apollo lunar missions, Hawai’i is now in a prime position to become home to Earth’s first prototype lunar base. With terrain that is geologically very similar to the regolith that blankets the surface of the moon, we can test and build structures using lunar-like materials to overcome the challenges it will take to do so in space.
We have the know-how and willingness to make this happen. Hawai’i is at the forefront of project-based education, and our students are ready to build and program robots that will carry out the construction phase necessary to complete a successful prototype here on Earth, with a real-life lunar base on the moon soon to come.
Being close to the equator, Hawai’i makes an ideal location for small satellite launches. This capability is what we collectively need to send payloads of robots into space. We can build, test and launch the robots that will complete the very first moon base.
Furthermore, Hawai’i has a diverse culture held together by a collective sense of family. The spirit of Aloha is real. People from all over the world have come to live in Hawai’i in peace and harmony. This is the culture that should exist on the moon.
In the Hawaiian Islands, we are strategically positioned as a U.S. state with close ties to Asia. Hawai’i also has a cultural history of exploration. Polynesians braved thousands of miles of open oceans to find Hawai’i. They were the boldest explorers this planet has ever seen. Following in this tradition, we are now ready to lead the next great exploration and migration of mankind: The Moon.
