[Spiff]

Why? Man on the moon has the potential of expanding human civilization. Robotic missions serve only two purposes: 1: Preparation for sending Man 2: Pretty pictures.

The Space Elevator has the largest potential for expanding human civilization. In fact, it is the first real step in that direction while silly trips to the moon and back to gather pretty rocks and take pretty pictures is mostly pointless. Until we conquer our gravity well and can practically and economically lift the necessary heavy equipment and materials into space, human civilization will not expand even to our moon. Construct the Space Elevator and you open up the entire it solar system to the first nation with the vision to construct it. No one will ever catch up to that nation in terms of exploiting space.

Then we can get to the good stuff like constructing a Dyson sphere or ring.

[orionblamblam]

> The Space Elevator has the largest potential for expanding human civilization.

The SE is a *tool*. It is not a goal.

> silly trips to the moon and back to gather pretty rocks and take pretty pictures is mostly pointless.

True. That's why nobody is seriously discussing "silly trips to the moon and back to gather pretty rocks and take pretty pictures is mostly pointless." Those who are not completely ignorant are discussing the moon as a source of vast income, specifically in the energy market, and secondarily tourism and eventual colonization.

> Then we can get to the good stuff like constructing a Dyson sphere or ring.

Not for several thousand years, probably, if then. Ringworlds are beyond any known or even conceived structural material (tensile strengths *millions* of time stronger than nanotubes needed), and of course the "Dyson Sphere" is not what Dyson described (and not is it feasible).