Right to the Moon!

"I was a young man when President Kennedy dared the nation to do something bold. Something which had never been done before. Today - different story..."

I just read the past day or two the Russians plan to build a permanent base on the Moon. Sometime in the 2030 timeframe. And once they do it, I would not be a bit surprised to see the Chinese follow suit. And what about us? The country who first stepped foot on the Moon in 1969? The country who had not been back to the Moon since 1972. That was over 40 years ago. We did however, send a unmanned probe to the Moon in late 2013. But no people.

Well if all goes according to plan, we too, are going back to the Moon. In or around the year 2020. The program will be called Constellation, and the purpose is to have humans inhabit the Moon for months at a time. Quite a bit different than the last time we were there. Back then, we landed, we collected samples, and took off. Flying on not much more than a wing and a prayer. 

I don't know much about this as I don't work for NASA. But from an intuitive standpoint, it seems like a Moon Base would make sense. More sense than the ISS. For example, the ISS has no gravity (except artificial). The Moon on the other hand, has some gravity - about 1/6 of what it is on Earth. Since the Moon does not rotate like the Earth, one would think solar power would be a snap. No clouds, no rain, just lots of sunshine. Again, one would think the Moon Base would have all the power it would ever need.

Is there a downside? You bet. Just like on the ISS or flying in a high altitude airplane, there is increased radiation. The radiation, the extreme temperatures, stuff falling from the sky - sounds like underground living to me would be in order. And that is okay. The bunkers should be able to go deep enough to supply protection to our men and women. So if this makes so much sense, why will it take 50 years to return?

There is one more minor issue to deal with. And to get a sneak peek, lets look at the Artic. Who owns it? Who has rights? Just wait until we try to figure it out with the Moon. The last thing we need is some kind of dispute over Moon rights that not only affect the Moon, but also relations back on Earth. Can we expect the UN to help figure this one out? Fat chance.

In these days of terror and extremism, where organizations like the Islamic State try to drag us back to the 7th Century, can we really forge ahead? Can we find the cure for cancer, explore the ocean, discover new energy sources, and can we be the new pioneers in space? Or are we going to be stuck back in a century long past, subjugating women and then torturing and then executing non-believers?

The choice will be ours. First we need to rid our world of this cancer, and then forge ahead. My vote - we go right to the Moon (and then beyond!)