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Pastimes : Should U.S. attempt manned missions to the Moon?
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To: Edscharp who started this subject1/9/2004 3:46:00 PM
From: Edscharp  Read Replies (2) of 41
 
I think it's only fair to state my own biases about Bush's initiative.

I'm a big supporter of NASA and I think the idea of the international space station is terrific. They do a lot of great programs that have value to we, the denizens of this little planet, but I also know that landing a man on the moon, much less setting up a permanent base there, is an expense that is beyond any reasonable purpose. And, though I support unmanned expeditions to Mars the idea of manned expeditions to that planet is beyond comprehension to me. I understand that the two current unmanned Mars probes will cost something like $400M. I crudely estimate multiplying that by 100 fold for a manned expedition.

The fact is that the U.S. is still contending with the aftershocks of 911. Spending for the defense of the Homeland defense is significant. The budget is not currently balanced, and we are currently supporting troops in the field in Iraq & Afghanistan. There are other potential problems on the horizon such as Iran, North Korea & el Qaeda.

For now, I think it's best to keep our resources confined to improving the world we have. Perhaps, at another time, when the world is a kinder gentler place to live we might seriously consider an international effort to pursue these projects.
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