"As its text notes, a return to the Moon has been a Congressional priority several times before; that didn't stop Obama from dismissing it with "We've been there.""
We've been to Oregon too, with Lewis and Clark. Fortunately, we went back.
We've been to Oregon too, with Lewis and Clark. Fortunately, we went back.
(Edit: clarified LA to Los Angeles)
I get that putting meat on the ground can have benefits that probes don't provide. I also get that we have to move some people off of this rock in case it gets hit by a bus. But doing something because "it's there" won't ever get sustainable colonies, let alone self sufficient ones.
We built a trillion dollar rocket industry so we could blow up the world if the russians invaded europe. Not because we wanted to advance humanity. Not because we really wanted to do something awesome. If you want humans in space en masse you have to come up with a compelling short term reason to do so. Water on the moon doesn't cut it.
What you call "rocks" I call "minerals".
With plentiful materials and energy combined with a more or less static position in relation to Earth (the Earth is always in the same position in the lunar sky), a magnetic rail launch system becomes an easy option. You only have to carry fuel (or engines) if you intend to enter Earth orbit. If a landing is enough, you can aerobrake on Earth's atmosphere and parachute (or glide) down.