Discussion
Bedazzled said:
The Russians are far more practical about these things, they just build the space station here on Earth 
Reminds me of this epic!www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-371942/Space...
Bedazzled said:
jmorgan said:
Always though that the Moon offers a sand pit to test, close to home, ish, and an environment to long term test. Lava tubes seem a good place to build habitation. Benefits from this can also be brought back to Earth for help here.
Not sure about launching though, unless you mine the fuel there? You still have to loft a lot of gear.
What is the point of sending people to the moon, just so they can live in a hole in the ground? It would be an interesting experiment, if they can create a breathable atmosphere and drinking water from nearby ice and moon rocks, but they'd still need a regular supply of food and other materials and it's not scaleable; I can't see how we would benefit.Not sure about launching though, unless you mine the fuel there? You still have to loft a lot of gear.
The REAL usefullness of the moon as a place to live and work and to exploit isn't really known yet. The way to find out how worthwhile it might be is to go there and find out - with people.
Use Psychology said:
may as well spaff endless money into a space programme than into greece.
Absolutely. People don't realise how LITTLE is spent on space. The Apollo moon programme was cancelled partly because many were screaming from the sidelines that the money would be better spent on more "people" orientated matters, such as medical research or famine relief. Well, the money WAS cut. But was the "saved" money immmediately transfered to these more "worthy" projects? Of course not. It was frittered away - as it always is - on projects, schemes and general government costs that no one even noticed.Bedazzled said:
What would you do when you got there? Play golf? Although it's interesting to look at, it's just a dead rock in space; we can't live there without constant resupply. If rare Earth elements were found we may be able to exploit them, but how would you best locate them? Send a couple of blokes to hop about and kick up the dust, or an army of automated probes and radar satellites? The recent Moon Mineralogy Mapper found traces of water, but the costs of drilling on the moon would be enormous.
If we send man to the moon, again, I think it will just reinforce the view that space exploration is a waste of money. I think we should invest in something which has more potential benefits; I agree wholeheartedly money should be spent on space exploration, but there are far more interesting places to visit and things to do.
You seem to know a lot more about the geology of the moon than geologists and lunar scientists.If we send man to the moon, again, I think it will just reinforce the view that space exploration is a waste of money. I think we should invest in something which has more potential benefits; I agree wholeheartedly money should be spent on space exploration, but there are far more interesting places to visit and things to do.
Have you been there?
Sorry, just because geological activity is less than it was billions of years ago does not mean that geology as a science cannot be conducted. Geology is the study of rocks and their history. It does not require that geological processes are still happening.
However, one of the key findings of Apollo was that the moon was NOT geologically inactive. It does have moonquakes and it does have some heat flow from its core. Indeed, the theory BEFORE Apollo was that the moon was completely dead. We now know that this is wrong. The moon still has internal activity going on - but it's obviously at a low level.
Are you suggesting that because we have samples from nine limited sites (six Apollo and three Luna) that we know everything there is to know about the moon?
We haven't had a single sample from the far side - which has obviously had a very different geological history to the near side.
Finally, you seem to think that going to the moon precludes doing other things. Of course it doesn't. Go to the moon AND do the other things.
However, one of the key findings of Apollo was that the moon was NOT geologically inactive. It does have moonquakes and it does have some heat flow from its core. Indeed, the theory BEFORE Apollo was that the moon was completely dead. We now know that this is wrong. The moon still has internal activity going on - but it's obviously at a low level.
Are you suggesting that because we have samples from nine limited sites (six Apollo and three Luna) that we know everything there is to know about the moon?
We haven't had a single sample from the far side - which has obviously had a very different geological history to the near side.
Finally, you seem to think that going to the moon precludes doing other things. Of course it doesn't. Go to the moon AND do the other things.
As I keep saying, you have obviously decided that we have learned all there is to know about our nearest celestial neighvbour. Why aren't you leading NASA's or the ESA's or the Chinese/Russian planetary exploration teams as you seem to know more than all the other professionals in this field?
Apollo was created for the wrong reasons perhaps, but in the end, the science became by far and away the most important part of it and will be its lasting legacy.
Sometimes, the reason something gets done is not that important. What is important is that it DOES get done.
I have absolutely no doubt within 50 years there WILL be human beings living and working on the moon - and possibly on asteroids and Mars too. Within another 50 years the moons of the outer planets will be part of man's sphere of activity.
HOW these things come to pass I do not know, but they will.
Sometimes, the reason something gets done is not that important. What is important is that it DOES get done.
I have absolutely no doubt within 50 years there WILL be human beings living and working on the moon - and possibly on asteroids and Mars too. Within another 50 years the moons of the outer planets will be part of man's sphere of activity.
HOW these things come to pass I do not know, but they will.
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