It's now even easier to have a close look at our nearest neighbour thanks to the Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter. The Nearside Spectacular site you can view extremely detailed closeups of the near side of the moon. Got to: http://wms.lroc.asu.edu/lroc_browse/view/wac_nearside
Keen eyed observers will spot the location of Moonbase Central on the edge of the Sea of Rains and some miles distant the ragged scar left by the impact of the early atomic transport during the initial phase of the development of the base. The mass transport vehicle was remotely controlled from Earth Base, but a solar flare interrupted communications on the final approach and landing and the huge craft overshot the landing site and careered into the lunar mountainside. Luckily the nuclear drive wasn't severely damaged, but all the components for the intended moon base modules were destroyed by the impact. The project was set back considerably by this event and all future transports were accompanied by a full flight of Task Force craft, as a precaution.
1 comment:
I still haven't erased that crash from my mind. That whole area of the moon could have been contaminated! Fit AI_Emergency systems, for heavens sake. That way if contact is lost, the transporter can drag itself up into a safe orbit. Sheeeesh! Lucky the SpaceX team were on hand to bail SWORD out again, eh? By the way ... we are still waiting for payment re that rescue. Fuel isn't free, y'know, and we had to divert resurces from other projects.
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