Posted on 04/05/2018 7:16:50 AM PDT by Elderberry
For nearly half a century, America has led some of the most complex missions with robotic landers throughout our solar system, including bold landings on Mars and asteroids. But most Americans are surprised to hear that since 1972 we haven’t had a crewed or robotic lander conduct science and exploration on the moon. Although NASA has placed the occasional orbiter around the moon and even intentionally impacted a spacecraft into the surface, the nation has not had a lander capable of advanced surface science and exploration since Apollo.
In retrospect, it’s striking that the global leader in space exploration went from safely landing and returning astronauts from the lunar surface to lacking the national capability to land even the smallest of payloads on the lunar surface for nearly 50 years. During this gap, our international competitors have pressed on. Most recently, Chinese landers and rovers have accessed the lunar surface, while numerous others have outlined their own near-term lunar plans. Where America once undeniably led in lunar science and exploration, other countries have stepped in to demonstrate new leadership on the moon.
Fortunately, over the last decade, a number of American companies have been working with NASA to develop robotic lunar lander systems with an eye towards capturing the emerging global market of small payloads. Governments, academia and the private sector have all demonstrated demand for affordable access to the surface of the moon through small lander services. As we prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Apollo lunar landings, we’re on the cusp of an exciting return to our nearest planetary neighbor with the administration’s 2019 proposed budget for NASA. Through an affordable approach called the Lunar Exploration and Discovery Program, NASA can once again pursue new lunar frontiers with its own payloads on lander systems
(Excerpt) Read more at spacenews.com ...
We can send all the moonbats up there!
We can send all the moonbats up there!
Are we going and then destroying all the tech and data again?
Don’t we already have a National Park on the moon?
Since the end of the shuttle program American astronauts have had to begs rides into space from the Russians and rely on Elon Musk for orbital payloads. In the mean time NASA has wasted billions on global warming BS and pandering to Muslims. In the last nearly 50 years since Americans first walked on the moon we haven’t done squat in exploring our nearest neighbor in space. There should have been permanent American bases on the moon decades ago.
Public may support the idea....but wait until you show them the bill.
It’s expensive to pay twice as many second guessers as doers.
(difference between Apollo and now)
There is little or no value to the lunar surface to justify the expense of going there.
I stumbled on this link yesterday...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDK5v8YkYJ4
Can anyone debunk this debunking? Were these movie outtakes or something? If not, I’m in shock.
It is a method of stealing billions of dollars. There are more than you just found.
That was my thought after watching the video.
I can see multiple purposes, but theft is #1.
Green screen space at a billion dollar budget.
Since the Moon exists in a much lower gravity well than the Earth, there would be value in establishing a base in order to launch future expeditions to Mars or such from there. If hydrogen can be extracted from the lunar surface, then a fueling plant could be created and a stepping stone would be very valuable.
That a far country to be continually re-supplied. What advantage could there possibly be to have men (women) up there again?
Why?
There ya go!
What are you going to 'launch'?
Just WHERE does the fuel come from to 'launch'??
Just WHERE is the craft built that is going to be 'launched'???
Launch from Moon.
PFFT!
Sounds like a ZERO emissions vehicle scam to me!
Just moves it to a powerplant somewhere!
Agreed.
But... what is the value of going to Mars? Does that value meet or exceed the MASSIVE expense?
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