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Nonsense. The US won the lunar space race decades ago. China is still trying to catch up. The US launched six missions to the moon and from that, a total of 12
by taylodl 1y ago
Nonsense. The US won the lunar space race decades ago. China is still trying to catch up. The US launched six missions to the moon and from that, a total of 12 men have walked on the moon. We don't need to repeat that effort just to prove we still have our mojo.
What the U.S. should be focusing on is why we want to return to the Moon. Is the goal to establish a permanent lunar colony? If so, what’s its purpose - scientific research, resource extraction, geopolitical presence? Are we building a waypoint for Mars missions? These are the questions that matter.
The US going back to the moon needs to be done with purpose - as we've already been there, done that.
- ferguess_k 1y agoI think the consideration is: Yes we did send humans to the moon, but we don't know whether we can do it now, so we need to do it now. If China can do it NOW and we can't, it's bad for us. Basically dog versus dog mindset, but very understandable. Big dogs gotta have everything other big dogs have, and more. At least it is good for science and technology. If we have to have BS in politics, this is one of the best.
- al_borland 1y agoIs it worth maintaining capabilities for things we found to have little to no value after doing them several times? China is focused on the moon, while the US has its eyes set on Mars.
- mytailorisrich 1y agoChinese work step by step. The Moon comes before Mars, logically. Even in term of colonisation it makes more sense to do it on the Moon first and to learn there before going to Mars. The US have eyes on Mars because of "showmanship", not any long term plan.
- fragmede 1y agoElon Musk has eyes on Mars because Jeff Bezos wants to go to the moon, and he's gotta be better than him.
- al_borland 1y agoWe’re searching Mars for signs of water, life (or past life), and other things that would signal to be more habitable. The Moon would be similar to the space station, needing to be continuously supplied from Earth. The goal for colonization should be that it could become self-sustaining at some point. The US also went to the Moon before Mars.
- taylodl 1y agoWe've been exploring Mars for nearly 50 years now and you call it "showmanship"?!?!
- mytailorisrich 1y agoI don't remember anyone stepping on Mars... Sorry I must have missed it.
- taylodl 1y agoWe have the technology to send robots to Mars and do the exploring for us. Did you miss that?
- taylodl 1y agoRepeating Apollo is a strategic blunder and a tragic waste of money and resources. It's such a lame goal that even success is a failure.