Friedberg calculates 500 square meters of solar panels can ship one ton from moon every ten to fifteen minutes.
“It's like 500 square meters of solar panels will let you run a four kilometer mass driver to ship material back to the Earth every ten to fifteen minutes.”
Friedberg says shipping costs from moon to Earth are zero due to physics advantages.
“And the reason is if you can get to the moon, the moon has an extraordinary abundance of material that we can mine, process, and manufacture into goods.”
Friedberg explains moon's one-sixth gravity and lack of atmosphere enable frictionless, low-energy material transport.
“It's about one sixth the gravity and the complete lack of an atmosphere, meaning that it's frictionless to move material off of the moon and very low energy to move it off of the moon.”
Friedberg argues the moon could become humanity's next industrial frontier.
“I think the moon could end up being kind of the next industrial frontier for humanity.”
Friedberg claims shipping goods from the moon to Earth costs zero due to low gravity.
“And, ultimately, the cost to ship those goods back to the Earth is zero. And the reason is that on the moon, you can take advantage of the low gravity.”
Friedberg says continuous moon mining and manufacturing would cost a fraction of Earth operations.
“So we could run continuous mining, continuous manufacturing processes on the moon at a fraction of the cost of what it would take to do it here on Earth.”
Friedberg predicts the moon will become a giant economy comparable to the East India Company.
“I actually think the moon is gonna be a giant, giant, giant economy. And I think it's like one of these economies.”
Friedberg explains material would be moved off the moon using electric rail guns rather than propulsion systems.
“But the mechanism for moving material off the moon is not propul propulsion. It's actually a mass driver, so electric rail gun.”