01-16-2004, 05:38 PM
I hope the ambitious new plans are just in the spirit of exploration - if we ever get to the point where we have an interplanetary *program*, and not just missions here and there, then it makes sense to cheapen payloads by launching them from Luna instead of Earth. But I can't fathom how many from-the-moon launches you'd have to do to see a cost savings.
:huh:
The other answer, of course, is that there's a military interest in being the first and only nation permanently stationed on the moon (Moon is a Harsh Mistress, anyone?). One armed nuke up there and a couple hundred people who can live their lives semi-independently, and the balance of power on Earth is irrevocably shaken.
Hopefully that's just idle paranoia ... but when I heard it, I found it interesting.
:huh:
The other answer, of course, is that there's a military interest in being the first and only nation permanently stationed on the moon (Moon is a Harsh Mistress, anyone?). One armed nuke up there and a couple hundred people who can live their lives semi-independently, and the balance of power on Earth is irrevocably shaken.
Hopefully that's just idle paranoia ... but when I heard it, I found it interesting.