Historical perspective on the moon base: the British experience

Among the many historical episodes that have relevance to the establishment of a human base, the voyages of Captain Cook, and the founding of Britain's Botany Bay colony in Australia seems particularly appropriate. The process resulting in the selection of Cook rewards study, as do his relation...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jones, E.M., Finney, B.R.
Language:unknown
Published: 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5988911
https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5988911
Description
Summary:Among the many historical episodes that have relevance to the establishment of a human base, the voyages of Captain Cook, and the founding of Britain's Botany Bay colony in Australia seems particularly appropriate. The process resulting in the selection of Cook rewards study, as do his relations with the Admiralty, with the scientific establishment and with the scientists who accompanies him. Britain's tight control of the Botany Bay settlement and its unwillingness to promote early self-sufficiency may have delayed the time when Australia became self-supporting. Structuring the lunar base to offer opportunities for private initiatives may hasten the day when it becomes a self-supporting settlement rather than an externally supported scientific base on an Antarctic model.