Quote:
Originally Posted by cjl
What do you mean by "large scale surface mobilization of dust?"
With no atmosphere, it is impossible for the dust to do anything other than follow a ballistic trajectory, and it would therefore be impossible to create any significant dust above the lunar surface...
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Even Apollo moved regolith fines more than a kilometer, exposed surfaces Surveyor 3 was sand blasted by Apollo 12. Larger spacecraft will move it much greater distances. This is not an insurmountable problem but will need management and consultation between users (preferably a head of time), not a laissez faire approach.
Other space environmental issues on the Moon that will need management will include light and RF pollution. You don't want spacecraft doing approaches over observatories, and the lunar farside is the quietest place in the solar system for radio astronomy. You don't want to waste that asset. Plus you don't want conflicting use of frequencies, or dangerous interference. Even on Earth, certain frequencies and use of electronic equipment are banned on mine sites beause of the risk of accidently setting off explosions.
Jon