If the winter Olympic Games were held on the moon, where would they be? The lunar Alps, of course.
This article from NASA is an excellent discussion about a possible "Lunar Winter Olympics".
The moon's dust-covered slopes are good places to ski. There's plenty of powder, moguls and, best of all, low-gravity. With only 1/6th g holding them down, skiers and snowboarders can do tricks they only dreamed of doing on Earth. How about an octuple-twisting quadruple backflip? Don't worry. Crashes happen in slow-motion, so it won't hurt so much to wipe out.
Sure it sounds like science fiction- but when I was a child the idea that everyone would own one or more high powered computers linked into a global information network - that was science fiction too.
The recent announcement by
Space Adventures- a company that have already placed 3 space tourists in space at an estimated cost of $20 million a head - that it planned to build a $265 million spaceport in the near the southern end of the Persian Gulf, will help to develop space tourism to the point where the thinkable becomes reality.
Right now companies who are exploring the idea of space travel for commercial purposes are thinking in terms of suborbital hops and short-term spacestation visits for the well heeled.
But once the business generates cash - the money will lure the big boys to the moon - the prospect of luring well heeled newly weds to the moon - "Have your honeymoon - on the Moon" - will be irresistable.
Once it becomes established enough and safe enough - the possibilities of lunar sports are endless.
The prospect of a 40+ metre long jump, a 20+ metre high jump and a pole vault of 30+ metres will enticing enough for athletes to want to compete - even if the facilities of the "Olympic Camp" will probable be cramped and rudimentary. Skateboarders can build ramps higher than their their eye can see - and just how high can a ski-jumpers' ramp get?
One bad thing - although track, field and board sports will be great in the Lunar Olympics - there wont be any freefall and skyflying events - there's no atmosphere, nor will there be any surfing - there's no waves, although you could import or make enough water to have a lunar olympic sized swimming pool - who's for the 30+ metre high dive?
Best idea anyone can get comes from
Jack Skis the Moon - an account of astronauts' experiences on the moon.
It could almost read like a brochure:
Now this is a ski report: Clear skies, no wind, sweet slopes and deep powder--not expected to melt for at least five billion years. Grab your poles and pack your bags.
Just don't forget your spacesuit, because you're going to the moon.
The similarity between mountains on Earth and on the Moon were enough that Ed Mitchell of Apollo 14 wise-cracked "my snowsuit's ready", and Apollo 15's Jim Irwin commented that if felt like "soft powder snow" underfoot.
My favourite was the story of lunar astronaut and geologist, Harrison "Jack" Schmitt, from Apollo 17 - his description of "lunar skiing" will have to wait for a while before it it is bettered.
"In the moon's low gravity," he explains 35 years later, "you can ski above the moondust--and I did. Imagine swinging your arms and legs cross-country style. With each push of your toe, your body glides forward above ground. Swing, glide, swing, glide. The only marks you leave in the moondust are the toe-pushes."
Tags: lunar-olympics, skateboarding, skiing, snowboarding, apollo, moon-shots, space-adventures