“...seeks a permanent and sustainable return to the Moon...”
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For what?
More wodnerful things like Tang, Velcro,
and ball-point pens that can write upside down?
The Russians laughed then said, "We just use mechanical pencil".
Seriously?
If your property was found to have a gold mine or oil field underneath it would you dig it up or drill it?
Most would.
The same applies to the moon. It is a veritable gold mine and oil field to those who get there and start consuming it.
-24/7 solar energy for Earth
A lunar-based solar power system would actually be cheaper than Earth-based solar power implemented on a global scale. The Moon’s lack of atmosphere and weather means that photovoltaic cells built by robots from lunar materials can be paper thin, in contrast with the heavy structures needed in Earth-based solar arrays. Ringing the Moon, such a system would be in perpetual sunlight, making it cheaper to collect solar power there and beam it down to Earth in the form of microwaves.
-A source of helium-3 for clean, safe nuclear fusion power and other uses
The gas helium-3 is extremely rare on Earth, but plentiful on the Moon, and could be used in advanced nuclear fusion reactors. Helium-3 also has anti-terrorism and medical uses, especially in the diagnosis of various pulmonary diseases.
-A place to offload industrial pollution
Since there are minerals and oxygen in lunar rocks and dust, and frozen water in certain locations, the Moon is an ideal home for factories. Thus, billionaire Jeff Bezos has proposed relocating large segments of heavy industry there, reducing the amount of pollution that is produced on Earth.
-Radio Astronomy without interference from Earth
Constructed on the Moon’s far side (the side of the Moon that always faces away from Earth), radio telescopes advancing human knowledge of the Cosmos, and searching for signals from extraterrestrial civilizations, could operate with increased sensitivity and efficiency.
-Lunar Tourism
Using the Moon as a destination for tourists may not sound helpful initially, given that only the very wealthy would be able to afford such journeys in the foreseeable future. However, the economic payoff could be substantial in terms of jobs that lunar tourism could provide on Earth. Furthermore, short of actual tourism, companies are gearing up to provide lunar entertainment to fun-seekers here on Earth in the form of mini lunar rovers that people could control from their living rooms, just for fun.
-Lunar Colonies
Similar to lunar tourism, lunar colonization sounds initially like a development that would help only those people who go. But, located just three-days’ travel from Earth, the Moon would be an excellent place for humanity to become a multi-planet species. The Moon could be a place for colonists to get their space legs before humans put down roots on more distant locations like Mars. With hundreds or thousands of humans thriving on the Moon, Earthlings might find some level of peace of mind knowing that humanity is in a position to outlive a planetary catastrophe.
Lastly, the ChiComs are all in and are going for it. Let’s not let them get rich while we worry about gender and threats to democracy from Republicans down here! Letting the Chicoms get the moon under production would be like Sears thinking Internet sales and Amazon.com was just a fad that could be ignored.