Moon in 2009-2010 possible?

Question

OK, Nasa is disapointing those of us who are still young by waiting to go to Mars in 2020; but we've already been to the moon once, cant we go back and actually start doing something by 2009-2010?
I think a couple ideas I've heard is: 1)An amuesment park or carnival or some something like that.2)A launch pad for getting to the other planets, and 3)This is my suggestion; When we get our transportation in order, becuase our planet is getting worse, go and carve out part of the inside of the moon to use as an emergency place to go incase of a global disater. War, a new ice age, any kind of global problem that requires us to escape the planet.
Does anyone think any of this can be accomplished or at least started by 2009-2010?

Answer 1

Okay, I'll assume you're young and don't have the knowledge to consider the logistics of everything you've suggested.

First up, even NASA is not going to put people back on the moon before the year 2020...and that's only if congress provides them the funding to do so, which so far it doesn't look like it's going to happen. That said, NASA is planning the first mission to begin the effort...that is called the Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter (link below), which won't launch until the fall of 2008 at the earliest. This orbiter will accurately map the moon to decide the best places to establish a base. (Believe it or not, we have better maps of Mars and some of Jupiter's and Saturn's moons than we do of our own moon.) The next step in NASA's plan is to develop the Crew Exploration Vehicle. This is the replacement for the Space Shuttle which is going to be retired after the International Space Station is completed...it will have capability to take people to the moon and later to Mars.

Next, we aren't going to go back to the moon for the science or simply because we can. The reason will be the same as last time...politics. The first moon landing occured only because we were in a space race with the Soviet Union, which in turn related to the Cold War. Perhaps China's emerging manned space program will provide the incentive for a race to return to the moon, but only time will tell. At this point in time, there doesn;t appear to be the political will to actually send people to the moon, though we it is likely that the Crew Exploration Vehicle will still be developed...it'll be the only way the USA has to get people into orbit, let alone beyond orbit.

Next, please don't be so pessimistic about the future of our planet. Turn off your TV and don't beleive everything you read on the internet. Things are not as bad as they are telling you they are. Many people want to scare you into believing a lot of bad things about our future. It has always been like that throughout history. Truth is, this planet and we humans on it are going to be around for a long, long, long time. But even if it weren't, you cannot imagine what it would take to get all the people off the planet...in fact, it would be impossible. We simply do not have the resources to do that, and we never will. The best we could do would be a "Noah's Ark" of a few thousand people at best, in order to continue our species...but even that would be the greatest undertaking humanity has ever tried.

Finally, I think an amusement park on the moon would be tremendous fun. With the low gravity, we could probably fly in a pressurized environment and artificial wings on our arms. Alas, an actual amusement park, and we must look at these things pragmatically, is unlikely to be built there in mine or your lifetimes. Perhaps one day you will see people taking vacations on the moon, but it will be horrendously expensive.

Answer 2

First off, there was more than one moon mission done by NASA. Second, they don't go back there any more because they're still analyzing the data they brought back from all the previous missions. Furthermore, the data they are finding suggests that the moon is little more than dust and rock: not much drive to go back there. Third, China is going to the moon in 2009/2010 so hold your horses.

As for your suggestions:
1) Great, urban sprawl is turning our planet into a paved hell hole and you think it would be a good idea to spread to the moon? Way to destroy one of the most beautiful features of the night sky.
2) This idea has been bandied about for some time but no one has ever got their poop together about it. Go red tape!
3) I don't even know where to start with what is wrong with this suggestion...

Answer 3

Moon possible by 2010? Of course! Worth it? Probably not. The problem is not getting there, the problem is why?
Today we have greater safety concerns than we had in the 1960's, which means that we are not willing to send a crew of would-be heroes to a situation that they might die for nothing. (The movie Apollo 13 gives a good idea about it.)
Accidents like the one we had with the space shuttle happened a few times before we landed on the Moon, but nobody cared, really. Nowadays we are not willing to accept these accidents as easily, unless there is a justification, which we don't.
So don't expect us to be anywhere near the moon in this decade or next.

Answer 4

No, not by 2010, no way. And why dig in the Moon anyway. Couldn't we carve out part of the inside of the Earth too? Even in an ice age the Earth is not as cold as the Moon at night. Even after a nuclear war there would be less radiation on Earth than there is on the Moon.

Answer 5

Not that quickly. If we launched a space flight to the Moon on 1/1/2007 with the parts to start a main base and shuttled parts up, we wouldn't likely be finished until 2015. In terms of starting then, it's possible, but it's gonna cost a crapload of money. in other words, we better keep our sights on Mars 2020.

Answer 6

New data on the effect of cosmic rays is throwing up another wall to space exploration. It's probably not insurmountable, but it's going to be much harder than we previously thought. Interesting account in last month's Scientific American by one of the Apollo astronauts about seeing fireworks when he closed his eyes. They were the effects of cosmic radiation slicing through his eye and triggering reactions in his retina. If you were in space, or on the bright side of the moon, and there was a solar flare, you'd have about an hour to get to safety or be fried. Shielding a spacecraft for long-term space flight has to deal with this, and we don't have an ideal solution at this time. Anything that works as a good shield is also quite heavy. I.e., water , lead, etc...

Basically, previous space missions have been short enough to reduce the odds of being caught in a solar flare event, but if you want to be in space or on the moon for an extended time, it's going to happen.

Answer 7

that is a false impression of a piece of writing describing an experience in 2003. Mars made its closest attitude in recorded heritage in that twelve months, and the article defined how the planet, *even as seen with a minimum of 75x magnification by a telescope* ought to look as large because the Moon does to the unaided eye. someplace alongside the line the bit about magnification were given lost, and the tale has circulated each and every twelve months on account that 2003. For the record, Mars made its close attitude in January this twelve months, and is now transferring faraway from Earth. It under no circumstances looks as better than an extremely brilliant pink action picture star to the unaided eye.

Answer 8

While I think it is possible for us to build bases on the moon today if we choose, I do not see it happening anytime soon. The only way you will ever see viable space colonies is if they are undertaken by private business. The government is just not going to do it. There was a time when NASA was staffed by people of vision. People who wanted to explore, and held grand visions of man living in space. However today NASA is staffed by bureaucrats and penny pinchers who lack the vision or originality required. We will continue our forays into space, but only in so much as it helps the government achieve there goals.

Answer 9

I just don't see that happening, we can bareley keep peace on this world, countries would be fighting back in forth if there was any talk about leaving and probably destroy civilization trying to get to the moon. And let's be real, Do you think that you would be allowed on that space ship? I'm not even talking about color, it's all about the "Haves" and the "Have Not". Enhancing Technology is fine but reality is better.

Answer 10

Technically, Yes. But with all the problems facing the world right now, I don't think the people see that as something do be involved in right now, unfortunatley. I agree with you, we should go ahead with plans for expansion into space.