Although cancelled in 2010 by President Obama, the U.S. Constellation project was designed to return US astronauts to the Moon by 2020 and support long-term human settlement as well as in situ development of mineral and energy resources from infrastructure on the Moon, fuel and life support materials while in space and for use of such energy and mineral resources on Earth.
The members of the Energy Minerals Division (EMD) and of the Astrogeology Committee of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) remain steadfast in support of going back to the Moon to perfect our technology and to learn to develop resources off-world safely and economically. President Obama has recently passed this endeavor on to a number of public and private corporations working, sometimes with NASA and sometimes independently to fully realize the original goals.
This AAPG-EMD Memoir 101, prepared by ex-NASA astronauts and senior industry geoscientists (many of whom are members of AIPG) is a comprehensive and integrated review of energy and mineral resources in the Solar System, including materials that could both sustain future manned expeditions as well as meet Earths energy and mineral challenges in the 21st century and beyond. Any long-range program of human exploration and settlement of the solar system must consider the vital role that extraterrestrial energy, minerals and related resources must also support human habitation of near Earth Space as well as the nearby worlds of the Moon and Near Earth Asteroids.
The final chapter of the text (Chapter 9) has been released in a revised PDF format to serve as an introduction to the Memoir coverage. The push back to the Moon and to asteroids is also receiving attention by the popular press (Forbes.com). Chapter 9 is available in an updated PDF format (see: I2M Associates News - April 6, 2013 item (at bottom).
Resource Portal for I2M Clients, Associates, and Geoscientists
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-