Seriously....
 

If we could get to the moon back in 1969, you know, before all the new innovations in technology and all, but haven't been back since? Why?

We can't build a better and more efficient capsule thingee to get them there? Than we could in the SIXTIES?

I don't exactly support the sound stage theory, but please tell me why we don't go there regularly, just to the outreaches of space?

Were we REALLY hoodwinked?

Sorry if this topic has been beaten to death or something, but seriously, we can't get back to the friggin' MOON?

Yeah spending billions of dollars on pointless space missions is just what your country needs right now.

And besides, the Chinese are planning to go to the moon.

There is a difference between "can't" and "have no reason to". We have actually been beyond the moon, in case you don't follow the news. Its just not feasible to keep sending manned missions. All Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins really did was wave the flag to piss off the Russians.

Yeah really, why go back to the moon again when we've already been there.

The majority of my high school thought that the moon landing was a hoax. It's really sad how many people actually believe that our entire space program is just an over-elaborate joke on us.

I think it is astonishing that we went to the moon in 1969 with slide rules as the primary means of computation among NASA scientists and engineers, and yet with all the computing power of the present day, we're still hovering in low earth orbit in a tin can which will be obsolete in 10 years.

The robotic missions to Mars, Venus and Saturn, and the continuing missions to Mercury, Pluto and the asteroid belt prove that we have the technical expertise, but as we all know, sending humans is much more costly than sending robots - you have to keep humans alive, after all.

The only reason to return to the moon would be to establish a PERMANENT base there, probably in the south polar region. We could then prospect for usable minerals and compounds, one of which is known to be water.

I agree with the observation that the original astronauts who went to the moon did it as part of a big "in your face" to the Soviet Union. There was very little scientific work of note done during these missions that couldn't be done from the surface of the earth, aside from collecting moon rocks.

I think we need to send everyone to the moon. Except me. You cocksuckers.

I think we should send spadowski and kKK there together with a rocket full of gay porn. ALso the rocket should be penis shaped because THE BODY SHOULD MATCH THE MINDS OF ITS OCCUPANTS TOGETHER IN MARITAL LOVE.

nothing against you sspad I just think it would be funny!

SHUT

THE FUCK

UP

i'm referencing his avatar, see

I'm pretty sure that NASA is planning a manned mission to Mars for around 2030, which means that astronauts will probably be returning to the Moon in the 2020s. One theory that I've heard tossed around is that the Moon will be used as a launch pad for Mars since it's much more cost-effective to build a ship for Mars in space than it is to build it on Earth.

The lower gravity makes heavy lifting a sinch! :billyhayes

That and since the Moon doesn't have as much gravity as Earth, you won't need as much fuel on take off.

Yeah, but wouldn't the transportation costs for all the building material to the moon be enormous? Sounds like it would be more trouble than it's worth.

The solar system is full of useful materials that we're going to need sooner or later.

In RTS games do you sit in your base until your resources are depleted before hunting out another source?

Also, IMO getting up in the morning is more trouble than it is worth, yet so many people disagree for not good reason.

Two things: zerg rush, and no, getting up in the morning is not worth it. Noon, maybe.

China are playing as Zerg. ;)

Plus Spies! :eek

The thing is, you use something like 80% of a rocket's fuel just getting out of the Earth's atmosphere. If you wanted to plan a long range mission (to Mars for example) you'd have to re-fuel in space - so why not set up a base on the moon were you can stock-pile resources and have the space to erect some kind of launchpad without building a huge orbiting space station.

i hope they get a space elevator going soon, that will make it so much easier to get shit into orbit :(

Any ship that could go to Mars with enough stuff for at least 3 astronauts to survive for a 7-month trip there, one year on Mars and a 7 month trip back would be so massive that it would never get launched off of Earth. A rocket that big just wouldn't work.

Therefore, it has to be constructed in space.

Because we're too busy blowing up Arabs.

...Because there's no oil or brown people on the moon.

The Moon: The last stronghold for the old tradition of the Rich White Men club. :posh

haha, they even play golf there. :eek

It would add a whole new dimension to the game: Long-range golf! Just imagine how far you could shoot that golfball...as long as you don't shoot it out of orbit or something.

Red Dwarf?

You don't shoot a golf ball. Well, unless you want to hold it responsible for your lousy game.

So, where is the sound stage theory? Come on I know some of you are into it.

Yeah, I belief it was a fake. But I also don't really care if we did or didn't go.