Almost 2,700 years after humans built in the Sigea promontory the first lighthouse of which references are preserved, NASA has turned on a lighthouse on the moon. Its usefulness is practically the same. The one in Sigea guided travelers by boat and the one on the Moon guided those traveling by spaceship.
The tests were carried out last February as part of the Odysseus mission, from NASA and Intuitive Machines. Since they were a success, it is expected to develop more beacons of this type, so that in the future there will be an entire lunar network of lighthouses connected to both manned ships and space probes.
In addition, this lighthouse on the Moon is a test for the placement of lighthouses on Mars. Although on the Moon they can be guided by the directives sent from Earth, on Mars communications have a 20 minute delay, so there cannot be a fluid conversation between both parties. He beacon lightingTherefore, it may be the ideal method for astronauts traveling to the red planet to locate themselves and explore beyond without fear of getting lost.
A lighthouse on the Moon despite all obstacles
As explained in a NASA statement, initially the Odysseus mission was going to have 10 hours to test its lighthouse on the Moon. However, a series of problems landing the ship greatly shortened the available time. Luckily, it was enough 30 minutes to check that the beacon was working correctly.
This lighthouse on the Moon does not work with a light, like terrestrial navigation lighthouses. It is far from the operation of that used by the ships near Sigea. Its mission, in reality, is transmit location informationboth to Earth and to the probes, ships and astronauts that are in the vicinity.
In these first tests, the beacon, called Lunar Node 1 (LN-1), made two 15-minute broadcasts. During that time telemetry measurements were being carried out. That is, physical measurements of the environment could be taken and then sent over great distances.
One more facility for Artemis explorers
The first humans to travel to the Moon undertook a mission into the unknown. Luckily, they did well and there were no losses. Even so, they were not easy incursions, which is why NASA and the rest of the world’s space agencies have worked for decades to ensure that the next human travelers to our satellite know much better the ground on which they set foot.
To this end, a multitude of probes have been sent to the Moon, aimed at reconnoitring the terrain even on its far side. The placement of a communications network similar to Wi-Fi has also been planned. Even a railway! Now, in addition, the Moon will have its own lighthouse system. After the Apollo missions, the next ones to land on the Moon will be the Artemis spacecraft. Their goal is much more ambitious, as they want to establish a base on the Moon, which will serve as a service station for future trips much further away, for example to Mars.
Having a location system is essential so that all this can be carried out. The humans who made the first lighthouse in history couldn’t even imagine that something like this would ever happen. What will it be that humans today believe is impossible and will it end up becoming a reality?
