The incredible lunar TEMPLE: European space bosses reveal plan for 50m high 'dome of contemplation'
Perpetually sunlit peak close to the Moon's south pole
Would be built on the sunlit rim of Shackleton Crater, near proposed lunar base
50 m-high domed structure Temple will be 'symbol of unity for humankind'
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It could be a temple like no other - and with a view that really is out of this world. The European Space Agency has revealed plans for a lunar temple to be built alongside mankind's first outpost on the moon. The 50m high dome, close to a planned moonbase near to the moon's south pole, would give the first settlers 'a place of contemplation'. Artist Jorge Mañes Rubio, part of ESA's future-oriented Advanced Concepts Team (ACT), designed the temple to be built alongside ESA's planned moonbase.
'I've been having all sorts of discussions with my ACT colleagues, including speculating on the likely needs of future lunar settlers,' said Jorge. 'What kind of social interactions will they share, what cultural activities and rituals will they have, and what sort of art and artefacts will they be producing? 'Humans have been creating art for at least 30 000 years, so I have no doubt this will continue in space and on the Moon.'
The temple would be built on the sunlit rim of Shackleton Crater, which is bathed much of the time in sunlight while overlooking a 4.2 km-deep interior mired in perpetual shadow. The lunar poles have previously been identified as promising locations for future settlement because craters kept shaded by the lowness of the Sun in the local sky are thought to serve as 'cold traps' to preserve water ice, potentially a vital source of water, air or rocket fuel.
'This was a big source of inspiration for me, along with 18th century utopian architects such as Étienne-Louis de Boullée and Claude Nicolas Ledoux, who designed massive structures too large to be feasibly built on Earth – but practical in the Moon's one-sixth gravity.' The 'Moon Temple' is intended as a symbol of unity for humankind, reflecting the pull that our natural satellite has always had on the human imagination, ESA says.
'Lunar settlement represents a perfect chance for a fresh start, a place where there are no social conventions, no nations and no religion, somewhere where these concepts will need to be rethought from scratch.
'Humans have brought flags to the Moon, but they've been bleached white by sunlight since then – almost as if the Moon is protecting itself from such terrestrial concepts.
So this Temple is intended as a mythic and universal structure that can hopefully bring people together in this new environment in novel ways.'
Jorge selected Shackleton over nearby Malapert Crater because Earth is perpetually visible from Malapert, while from Shackleton it will only be seen for two weeks at a time, inspiring more independent thinking. One opening in the dome will look Earthwards, while another at the top will peer out into deep space.
