The 7W Moon Shot

[alreadystarted]

I have recently watched some youtube videos where a certain internet technology personality has repeatedly claimed that one can get to the moon on ~7W of power.  Now I'm no cynic, but I think it's time we all banded together and demand that if such a 7W moon shot project exists that it finally be revealed!

Reproducibility is foudational to science, so let me be the first to openly offer to confirm this important work!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjlxj0HDcw4#t=02m08s

Perhaps the community can help me reverse engineer this project.

The moon is about 363,104km away at perigee
The most acceleration I'm willing to sustain is 40m/s²
I mass around 80kg

How much mass do I need to lose to make this happen?

[MK14]

In theory, you can get there at virtually 0 power, eventually.

Thought experiment for the future:
You and a very strong friend, take a space elevator, to just about beyond the Earths gravitational pull.
You get space suited up and your very strong friend, throws you as hard as they can, directly at the moon.
Let's say, he achieves 10 KPH, and his aim is perfect.
Assuming, the future where almost everlasting oxygen (and water/food supplies) space suits have been invented, and you are really patient.
You will eventually land (with a big 10 KPH BUMP!), on the Moon surface.

Total power consumption (ignoring space elevator and friends energy throwing you), zero.

[floobydust]

What about the solar wind?
NASA article Mars surface roughed up due to planet having no magnetosphere.

[StillTrying]

Whatever you do, make sure you go at night.

"You will eventually land (with a big 10 KPH BUMP!), on the Moon surface."

I think your landing speed would be a bit higher than that.

[MK14]

Whatever you do, make sure you go at night.

"You will eventually land (with a big 10 KPH BUMP!), on the Moon surface."

I think your landing speed would be a bit higher than that.

 
Are yes, Moons gravity, oops.
Ok, not so easy to solve (the landing speed), as there is no atmosphere on the moon to use parachutes, to keep the terminal speed low.

So take a big firework or rocket pack with you, and activate it just before gaining significant speed when you hit the moons gravitational field. Aim it VERY carefully, otherwise, it will be a lot more than 10 KPH, when you hit the Moons surface!

[StillTrying]

http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com/2009/11/09/myth-because-the-astronauts-had-heavy-boots/

[AndyC_772]

7W is a rate of energy consumption, not a total amount.

If power (not energy) is the limitation, you could charge a big capacitor at 7W for a long time, then dump all the energy into a rail gun.

I wonder if it's possible to detect a reflection off the moon from a 7W laser?

[Circlotron]

He likely meant that you could fly to the moon on 7 Watts if you followed a hyperbole(ic) trajectory. 🤪

[gnif]

I am sure it would consume more then 7W to simply produce a suitable vehicle/suit, that's your entire budget gone before launch.

[MK14]

I am sure it would consume more then 7W to simply produce a suitable vehicle/suit, that's your entire budget gone before launch.

In theory, you could make one that uses thermopiles (which convert temperature differences into electricity), with the self heating human on the inside (not sure of exact amount, but it is probably around 50 Watts of heat energy produced) and the near absolute zero temperature of outer space (during most of the journey).

Also, using very high efficiency techniques, the suits power consumption, should be reducible to a small amount.
I.e. the very approx 50 watts, can be used to power the suit. Some of the energy the suit uses, can also be re-converted back into electricity, and make a closed cycle thing, which uses very little or no external power.
In (hypothetical) theory, at least. (In practice the mobile satellite phone and entertainment system, will need 750 watts  ).

EDIT:
But the suit/craft does do a lot of important/vital life support functions. Such as air-conditioning, refreshing the oxygen and removing CO2 etc. Water control/extraction/recycling. So I just hope that all the necessary functions can be performed, with little or no, extra power, being needed.

[rdl]

"Flying to the Moon" does not require a person. Maybe you want to send an unmanned probe.

If you have a continuous 7 watt source of power are you even limited to the Moon?