Also, we could use this as an excuse to have a moon base: when we get sample returns, it's better to have them land on the moon and studied there instead of ris

Also, we could use this as an excuse to have a moon base: when we get sample returns, it's better to have them land on the moon and studied there instead of risking the sci-fi scenario of interplanetary bacterial overlords infecting earth. (Yes, I know the chances of that are low, but I really want a moon base since watching space:1999 as a kid, so I'm just using this as a justification for spending other people's taxes.)