"John Nichols" wrote in message
...

"Rick Evans" wrote in message
news:YKddh.1986$g_3.114@trndny02...
Shouldn't they have to explain the purpose of this
$100 billion Moondoggle besides 'The purpose of the
Moon base is to have a Moon base'?

Happens that two NASA engineers from the Lewis-Glenn facility here did a
presentation at our astronomy club in October on the new program. Part of
it is to have a base as a jumping off point for future missions to Mars.

Why jump off the Earth with all its manufacturing infrastructure and
human intellectual and labor capital only to stop at the desert
to end all deserts as a jumping off point? Using the Moon to "jump off"
to Mars
is isn't even a good "poor justification". But I guess for the choir
the argument works.

And of course to learn more about the Moon itself as we still have quite a
few questions.

That can probably be more than adequately addressed with fleets of
robots with
tons of dough for other R&D endeavors. AI and other robotics spin-offs
are
likely dividends. Me suspects we have made much progress in robotics
since 1969.
And, methinks you already knew that. ;-)

--
Rick Evans
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