[Paladin2]

I’m thinking that the Moon could have an abundance of rare Earths.

[Telepathic Intruder]

the Moon could have an abundance of rare Earths

Due to the way the moon was (theoretically) formed, it's composed mostly on Earth mantle material. Mostly silica and alumina, nothing special. If you want rare Earths, the asteroids are the place to go. The moon would, however, make an excellent staging point for missions beyond, since it takes a lot of fuel to get out of Earth orbit. A moon base could manufacture fuel (liquid hyddrogen and oxygen) using water. Water has already been found in large amounts in the permanently shadowed craters near the poles.