Vision

We have already taken the one small step for mankind and landed on the moon. We have seen it, we have conquered it, we have explored it - but our presence has not been sustained. For the benefit of mankind, the survival of our natural resources on Earth and for the proliferation of space exploration, it is now time for the next logical step - an international lunar colony. A colony where men, women and children can live without the need of a continuous supply of materials and technology from Earth; a self-supporting colony where the great circle of life can be sustained in its entirety by lunar raw materials and where all life-sustaining products will be manufactured in situ.

The colony will be self-sustaining in its requirements for sustenance, but it will function in symbiosis with Earth. As a result, trade between the lunar colony and earth will flourish, with the lunar colony contributing towards the enhancement of tourist facilities, the development of research and scientific activities, the supply of alternative energy based on advancements in Helium3 fusion power, construction of materials for earth orbit as well as deep space exploration to mention but a few of the benefits. Earth on the other hand will provide the lunar colony with high tech goods, know-how, scientific development and entertainment. Furthermore, there will be a unique opportunity to not only surpass old limits in sports and entertainment, but to invent entirely new low gravity spectator sports such as air polo, or loop-the-loop running tracks.

The ideal is, of course, a mutually advantageous symbiosis, but if, for some reason, space funding on earth should stop, it would not affect the survival of the lunar colony. The reason for this is that the colony itself would then be self-sustainable, which in turn would enable man to naturally and positively ensure growth and enhancement of his habitat. Not only would the lunar colony thrive in its own right, but it could also, with some ease, become the stepping stone towards manned flights to Mars, other planets, their moons, asteroids or eventually even other solar systems. But learning about self-sufficiency can also assist mankind in finding the way forward in preserving our fragile world, and eventually the lunar colony could provide critical information required for this. It could eventually become the mainstay for the research and development necessary for our ultimate survival. It is a foresighted approach uniting governments and people in a joint aim of sustainability, survival and success.

The two main factors required to achieve this goal are:

The capability to produce a lunar colony: The resources required, i.e. energy and raw materials, are already present on the moon. Solar energy is abundant since there is no atmosphere dissipating its rays, there are great frozen water reserves at the Lunar poles, and all base elements needed for biological life are present, albeit some only in trace amounts. The technology needed to extract these crucial elements from lunar soil, and to establish an artificial ecosystem able to support human life already exists today, and has been successfully tested on a small scale. So in short, we have the capacity, we have the knowledge, we have the technology, we have the capability, the aspiration and the network necessary to bring it into being.

Commitment of funds: Knowing that we have the knowledge, the know-how, the aspirations and the capability, the commitment of funds might seem inconsequential and trivial. It is, however, both imperative and vital, not only for the success of the project itself, but also for the future of mankind's existence on Earth. Funding should come not only from organisations and governments, but also from commercial investors in both developed and developing countries. It should be an international project, a world-wide initiative in four distinct phases with one lasting end result, where the outcome would benefit trade, research and mankind at large. These four stages are:

which finally leads to a

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