The Moon Revisited - Resource-rich lunar south pole is seen as perfect area to explore

Houston Chronicle ^ | March 5, 2006 | Mark Carreau

[Cincinatus' Wife]

They're in the works but it's slow going because NASA has to spend a lot of its budget completing Station. Because of that, a lot of things have to be spread out over years.

[RadioAstronomer]

Only time will tell.

In all reality, I hope you are right and I am wrong.

[beezdotcom]

Then do it right. Not step back 30 years. Unfortunately funding nuclear, hypersonic craft, SSTO, and other truly advanced methods of getting off this ball gets cut every time some congress critter yells pork. This will be no different.

I'm afraid I agree with you, from a pragmatic point of view. While I certainly will speak my piece to encourage such a program, I don't see a way past Congress right now.

The other hurdle to overcome is those who would object to a self-sustaining base because it would require us to "alter the pristine nature of the Moon". I'm sure the Sierra Club, Greenpeace and other environmental organizations already have something in the playbook about filing injunctions to prevent off-planet mining, terraforming, etc.

[patriot_wes]

"with valuable natural resources that space explorers could convert into electrical power, breathable air, drinking water and even liquid hydrogen and oxygen rocket propellants. "

Please don't tell Hillary, I'm sure she'd sell it to the Riattis of Indonesia for a hefty campaign contribution.

[Moonman62]

Then do it right. Not step back 30 years. Unfortunately funding nuclear, hypersonic craft, SSTO, and other truly advanced methods of getting off this ball gets cut every time some congress critter yells pork. This will be no different.

I agree. I think Americans will get behind it if it is done right. I think there is a good chance that the current plans could kill off most of NASA, eventually. My plan would be to give NASA the money and tell them to surprise us.

Have you noticed that all the major NASA foulups come in areas where the politicians get overly involved?

[RightWingAtheist]

I agree that robotic and other forms of unmanned exploration are probably the future of space travel, but will we ever advance it to a point where human space travel is unnecessary? We need a manned mission to keep Hubble operating; what about future probes and other unmanned exploration equipment within the Earth's orbit? We will have to find a work to create additional, automated forms of self-repair and maintenance, to prepare for any foreseeable contingency.

[MikeD]

We need a manned mission to keep Hubble operating; what about future probes and other unmanned exploration equipment within the Earth's orbit?

Part of the problem with Hubble is planned obsolescence. It was designed to be upgraded/repaired by the Shuttle every couple years, instead of working autonomously for 10 or 20 years at a time. It's amazing that we can get it working as well as it does with its gyro and battery lifetime issues.

The Webb telescope is designed to work autonomously for years at a LaGrange point. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is baselined for a one-year mission, but has a goal of five years -- that's continuous operation. I think we're doing pretty well with unmanned stuff. Then again, I'm biased...

[SunkenCiv]

The 15-mile-wide crater and its rugged surroundings, including a vast depression created by the impact of an ancient asteroid or comet, starkly show the drama that marked the early history of Earth's companion.

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