Safe place in case of a solar storm?

The safest place on the Moon during a solar storm would be the night side of the moon. So theoretically a crew on the Moon should esacpe there immediately if a solar strom threatens and if there are warnings coming in not too late.

But it might be faster to escape into space - to a station permanently being hidden behind the night side of the Moon. But I have problems to imagine an object orbiting so that it is always at that side. There is a lack of understanding: Is a sun-synchronous orbit an orbit at which an object moves that slow that it requires one year to terminate one complete orbit? If yes then a night-synchronous orbit should be possible too and may offer a safe place.

But do I understand the term "sun-synchronous" correctly???



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)

In between I found the definition of th term "sun-synchronous" at Wikipedia - there doesn't exist a german explanation up to now obviously. May be there is no german term for it - I don't remember having read or of a german term "Sonnen-synchron". That may be the reason why I didn't know what the properties of such an orbit are.

What I read at Wikipedia menas that a satellite or station in space permanently being at the night side of the Moon is complete nonsense.

So the only chance to hide before a solar storm I currently can imagine to escape to the surface on the night side of the Moon.

Would there be sufficient time to go there? What about a lunar suborbital vehicle designed to do a point-to-point-trip in case of a solar strom? What alternatives not known to me exist?



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)

A sun-synch orbit is a precessing polar orbit done in such a way as to have the orbital plane right above the terminator between day and night, so one side always faces the sun--and the shadow never falls upon the earth.

It may be a good solar powersat location. Statites elsewhere above the poles may also serve as a realy station for power beams.

Quite another aspect of the title of this thread: The lunar base at present still is plaaned at Shackleton crater where there is sunlight throughout the year (nearly at least.

So that also is a location where the lunar body doesn't provide no protection in case of a solar storm.

What are the possible solutions? Digging caves into the ground, the rim? Going down to the foot of the rim? Anything else?



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)