The Moon Society Blog - Latest comments on Dear NASA, Its Luna Or Nothing! (And That Includes Mars Too!)

In response to: Dear NASA, Its Luna Or Nothing! (And That Includes Mars Too!)

Get married fast [Visitor] — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:15:39 +0000

Great post!!!!!!!!! I am always seeking for such type of news and every time I find this blog representing post as my expectation...thank you fro sharing with us.....

In response to: Dear NASA, Its Luna Or Nothing! (And That Includes Mars Too!)

Modern Furniture [Visitor] — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:13:28 +0000

Thank you for the topics.....Really I like this type of topics...please keep inform us....
thank you...

In response to: Dear NASA, Its Luna Or Nothing! (And That Includes Mars Too!)

Robert C. Alternez [Visitor] — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:05:53 +0000

The ISS was a stepping stone, and the Moon is the second stone in a long series of stones across the vast galaxy. If we are going to succeed in colonizing the solar system and beyond we cannot skip ahead and try to expect to survive. It's like trying to jump down a flight of stairs and expect not to be injured.

In response to: Dear NASA, Its Luna Or Nothing! (And That Includes Mars Too!)

Recon One [Visitor] — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:18:40 +0000

Advatages for the moon are diffenatley that it is closer and we honestly have better pictures and a greater experience in dealing with it.

Advantages for Mars fall more to the atmosphere and other minerals already present. We are getting a better grasp of both but at the end of the day we have been to the moon not so much to Mars.

I have to come down on the side of lets get things working on the moon before luanching them arcoss to Mars. Current travel times are the biggest obstacle I see there to going to Mars 1st. The moon we can get things moved there if they are critical in about a 2 week time frame. Mars still looking at years for emergency supplies and parts.

In response to: Dear NASA, Its Luna Or Nothing! (And That Includes Mars Too!)

darth pickley [Visitor] — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:20:00 +0000

it is much more difficult to live on the moon permanently as a human establishment because of absence of the necessary organic molecules, which you would have to figure out a cost-effective way (lots of launches from the earth to the orbital distance of the moon is expensive) to allow it to happen. Mars, however, is full of the necessary oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, etc. and things that would allow Martian colonies to be fully sustainable without imports from earth. also, it is less expensive to launch from mars than from the moon. the moon is certainly a very very interesting destination, but might not other bodies be more so? The best uses for the moon are for good telescopes (on a stable, still body with no atmosphere, facing away from the Earth, away from the Earth's many radio signals, it is a very good location), however we can go to the moon after mars much easier...

In response to: Dear NASA, Its Luna Or Nothing! (And That Includes Mars Too!)

SpaceWarper [Visitor] — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:44:05 +0000

Comparing Constellation with Apollo is adequate as long as you want to show that these are very different. Saturn-V was just capable to lift some small HandBaggage with a small Crew to the Moon. Apollo war good to pave the technological Way and increase Production by improving Communication by Satellites. It was also good to get practical Experience with MoonDust. Its Properties were surprising and now we know what we have to deal with.

Time and Technology has changed and now we come again to expand our Frontiers. It's an important Investment and will enable much larger Enterprises in the Space around Earth and beyond.

The Moon is a Stroke of Luck and a StepStone to Mars. I can't understand People favorating the Mars while ignoring the Moon. Perhaps we should paint the Moon red. Never did hear anything like that from Mars-Fraction. At Moment Moon and Mars are same if you land there: There is nothing but what you take with you. Oh wait - the Moon is covered by a Kind of Concrete you can use even without Water.

However, the Moon is next to our HouseDoor while the Mars just a small Point in the Far. The Question is quite very simple what to take first. Better make Constellation on Luna than making Apollo on Mars.

@Procyan:
You can't hear any martian Opinion against? Well, you can't also hear any martian Opinion therfore. They still think: Let them try and create Hardware we can also use. You don't know what they will mean if the Hardware is created and available. Would they note that the Moon is necessary for the Mars they would support Luna - but they don't do it.

In response to: Dear NASA, Its Luna Or Nothing! (And That Includes Mars Too!)

Procyan [Visitor] — Mon, 11 May 2009 00:44:28 +0000

I agree with most of the logic above. I am on your side. BUT I can't find any USA "lay people" who want to go back to the moon...or anywhere ex Earth. I've gotten into the habit of dropping this question whenever I can. I can't recall ever hearing someone endorse the current vision with enthusiasm. Without wishing to be a wet blanket, your list of excellent reasons seems to be missing that point.

Moreover, in times of recession most horrid, has NASA considered the cost/benefit of resurrecting Apollo? I mean its sorta ready already and it worked. I'm sure this has been discussed, but the recent unexpected collapse of the economy, you know, Could a reactivated Apollo not be dovetailed with the goals of Constellation? There is a lot of Moon left to be explored. Why not Apollo.2? Maybe the strongest motivator would be for China to get there first, er, I mean second.

In response to: Dear NASA, Its Luna Or Nothing! (And That Includes Mars Too!)

Mike Combs [Visitor] — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:51:54 +0000

Here's another good reason: The moon is a source of materials outside the steepest parts of Earth's gravity well, and yet sufficiently close by that use of such materials in space could have returns to the terrestrial economy. If we're serious about building really large things in space, raw materials from Near Earth Asteroids have certain advantages, but the moon can get us started quickly with short travel-times.