[AnotherUnixGeek]

The Moon??? That’s so 70’s...BORING!
Been there, done that, nothing there.

Within a decade or two, the Chinese will be there. To stay - on a permanently manned base. So will the Russians, the Indians, and a bunch of other nations. So will we - even if there were nothing there, we wouldn't let the Chinese and the others claim that nothing for themselves.

I think Fred ought to come out tomorrow and call for sending a man to Mars.

I hope all the candidates will be serious about funding a manned expedition to Mars, but Mars is a long ways away and the Moon is right here, with conceivable military potential and a much shallower gravity well than Earth to launch Mars missions.

[Names Ash Housewares]

“Within a decade or two, the Chinese will be there. To stay - on a permanently manned base. So will the Russians, the Indians, and a bunch of other nations. So will we - even if there were nothing there, we wouldn’t let the Chinese and the others claim that nothing for themselves.”

THe “high ground” critically matters.

And it advance our nation in many ways when we reach far.

I wish more freepers understood that.

I am often surprised that many do not.

[Deo volente]

...the Moon is right here, with conceivable military potential and a much shallower gravity well than Earth to launch Mars missions.


Well, I hadn't thought about that. OK, it's the Moon then!

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

Within a decade or two, the Chinese will be there. To stay - on a permanently manned base. So will the Russians, the Indians, and a bunch of other nations. So will we - even if there were nothing there, we wouldn't let the Chinese and the others claim that nothing for themselves.

Exactly. Luna is the high ground. Defensively speaking, we would be foolish to let the Chinese perch up there above us without having a presence ourselves. Ever read THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS? The novel is dated in some ways, but Heinlein was right about one thing -- whoever is up there can easily thrown rocks at the Earth. Big ones.

That's not the sort of thing you can say to the great unwashed, because they'll just think you're being paranoid. But the forward-thinking leaders are well aware of this issue, mark my words.