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The Case for the Moon

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the we-need-more-rocks dept.

apsmith writes "Continuing the flurry of recent hearings on the future of humans in space, a Senate committee on Thursday heard testimony in favor of a return to the Moon. Former senator and moon-walker Harrison Schmitt and physicist David Criswell see the lunar surface as an immense energy resource, just waiting to be tapped. Astronomer Roger Angel sees the lunar south pole as the ideal astronomical observatory, with locations for telescopes 100 times better than anything we've done so far. And geologist Paul Spudis sees a lot of unfinished business on the Moon, to develop it as the "feedstock of an industrial space infrastructure." TransOrbital also sent written testimony."

7 of 641 comments (clear)

  1. Why? by diersing · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm not a space nut, but why did NASA stop going to the moon in the first place? Its been a couple decades since our last moon landing, no?

    1. Re:Why? by KD5YPT · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There was no incentive in going back. One, they're not given enough funding to develop the moon. And two, the reaching of the moon at that time only have one purpose, to show the Soviets that we are better then them during the cold war

      --
      In US, you can easily buy enough major firearms to wipe out your neighbourhood but a few little fireworks are banned.
    2. Re:Why? by kacp · · Score: 4, Insightful

      So, just replace Soviets with Chinese.

      Bingo, insta-moon purpose for today!

      --
      To write a haiku - all you need is the correct - number of syli...
    3. Re:Why? by pipingguy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      So, just replace Soviets with Chinese. Bingo, insta-moon purpose for today!

      Yes, but that would mean replacing inbred/ingrown paper-pushers with real doers and those that put their cojones on the line.

      Ain't gonna happen due to existing politics and aversion to risk. The American population (it seems/we are told) values gain without loss these days. No surprise, really, everyone is living off what was done in WW2, the "greatest generation".

  2. Berlin wall falling... by lfourrier · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...folowing by USSR was bad new for US space science.
    Send a chinese in space, and all of a sudden, space is interesting.

    Can americans be rulled without an official enemy ?

  3. NOW it's time to go to the moon? by Txiasaeia · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This doesn't have anything to do with China's manned space mission, does it? I mean, now that China's got a man up in space (albeit temporarily), the USA wants its domination of space back?

    --
    Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
  4. Next Step by mookielock · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The moon is the next logical step for humanity. Why? Because its close, mainly. A permanant base on the moon will allow us to reach the rest of the solar system easier. There are tons of resoures that can be tapped on the moon, helium-3, for instance. Once we are on the moon, Mars, Jupiter's moons, and the asteroid belt would seem like reasonable destinations for humanity. We are so rapidly using up our resources here on earth, that is no alternatives are found, we will be doomed. Sure the costs and teh risks are astronomical (no pun intended), but the rewards should surely outweigh any such cost. The trick will be finding someone to foot the bill in order to get started.

    --
    in-sig-nificant