This link, while off-topic, might be interesting (and somewhat annoying) to lunar development enthusiasts.
Quick summary: scientist proposes to the UN that the Earth-Moon L2 point be left undeveloped, so as to not interfere with radio astronomy conducted from the lunar farside.
I have to think that’s a non-starter for many readers of this blog! But I do wonder whether there is any clever way to accomodate radio astronomy while not limiting development.
A ridiculous proposal. First, the principal RF frequencies of interest from lunar radio-observatories are in the tens of meters wavelength band, a part of the spectrum virtually unknown because of terrestrial ionospheric interference so taking advantage of lunar far side “RF quiet” makes sense. These bands are not used for normal space communications. Second, all radio transmitters I’ve ever seen come with an “off” switch. On the off-chance that secondary RF radiation or harmonics interfere with radio-astronomy observations, we just schedule each activity such that they do not overlap.
Bob-1, when the UN gets a radio telescope built on the back side of the moon, you can color me impressed. Til then, proposals like that make for good toilet paper, thats about it.
Well, let’s see. So this would mean that all radio comm systems in LLO would be shut off when over the farside, right? And I guess deep space comm systems would all be shut off when they’re within view of the lunar farside, right? This would also mean that any Earth-link radio comm systems developed to support development of such a facility would have to be shut off when it is done done. I guess it also presumes that a radio telescope would be the only facility built on the farside that would want to have radio comm with the Earth. No one else gets to be there.
But actually, at the sensitivity levels of the proposed telescope, out-of-band emissions can be pretty serious.
Seems to me that this is an idea that wasn’t thought through very carefully.
This link, while off-topic, might be interesting (and somewhat annoying) to lunar development enthusiasts.
Quick summary: scientist proposes to the UN that the Earth-Moon L2 point be left undeveloped, so as to not interfere with radio astronomy conducted from the lunar farside.
I have to think that’s a non-starter for many readers of this blog! But I do wonder whether there is any clever way to accomodate radio astronomy while not limiting development.
“Leave the L2 alone”
http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=13011
A ridiculous proposal. First, the principal RF frequencies of interest from lunar radio-observatories are in the tens of meters wavelength band, a part of the spectrum virtually unknown because of terrestrial ionospheric interference so taking advantage of lunar far side “RF quiet” makes sense. These bands are not used for normal space communications. Second, all radio transmitters I’ve ever seen come with an “off” switch. On the off-chance that secondary RF radiation or harmonics interfere with radio-astronomy observations, we just schedule each activity such that they do not overlap.
Bob-1, when the UN gets a radio telescope built on the back side of the moon, you can color me impressed. Til then, proposals like that make for good toilet paper, thats about it.
Well, let’s see. So this would mean that all radio comm systems in LLO would be shut off when over the farside, right? And I guess deep space comm systems would all be shut off when they’re within view of the lunar farside, right? This would also mean that any Earth-link radio comm systems developed to support development of such a facility would have to be shut off when it is done done. I guess it also presumes that a radio telescope would be the only facility built on the farside that would want to have radio comm with the Earth. No one else gets to be there.
But actually, at the sensitivity levels of the proposed telescope, out-of-band emissions can be pretty serious.
Seems to me that this is an idea that wasn’t thought through very carefully.