JMS Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 US won’t be returning to moon, NASA chief says Posted: Apr 08, 2013 11:27 AM EDT<em class="wnDate">Monday, April 8, 2013 11:27 AM EST</em>Updated: Apr 08, 2013 12:07 PM EDT<em class="wnDate">Monday, April 8, 2013 12:07 PM EST</em>By FOX News NASA America won't be repeating that historic one small step anytime soon -- not according to NASA chief Charlie Bolden, anyway. "NASA is not going to the Moon with a human as a primary project probably in my lifetime," Bolden told a joint meeting of the Space Studies Board and the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board in Washington last week, according to Jeff Foust of SpacePolitics.com. "And the reason is, we can only do so many things." Instead, he said the focus would remain on human missions to asteroids and to Mars. "We intend to do that, and we think it can be done." Meanwhile, interest in the moon has been growing in both the private sector and in foreign countries. Last week, Russia rekindled its plans for a robotic moon exploration program, unveiling its first new moon mission since the Soviet Union launched Luna 24 in 1976. Russian space scientists are scripting a new plan to reconnect with the moon, one scientist explained. "Exploration of the moon is an important part of the program," said Igor Mitrofanov of the Institute for Space Research during Microsymposium 54 on "Lunar Farside and Poles — New Destinations for Exploration," held in The Woodlands, Texas, on March 16 and 17. 'I just want to emphasize that Russia is a spacefaring country not only with the robotic but also manned flight," he added. And private interest in the moon as a resource is heating up. Several companies have announced plans to mine the moon, thought to contain a ransom in precious minerals including titanium, platinum, and helium 3, a rare isotope of helium that many feel could be the future of energy on Earth and in space. Moon Express, one of the companies targeting the moon and competing in Google's Lunar X Prize to reach our satellite, recently said it plans a mission to begin exploring the moon in 2015. In his remarks last Thursday, NASA's Bolden acknowledged the widespread interest in the moon from other nations, and said his agency would be willing to help. "They all have dreams of putting humans on the Moon," he said. "I have told every head of agency of every partner agency that if you assume the lead in a human lunar mission, NASA will be a part of that. NASA wants to be a participant." http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/21908503/us-wont-be-returning-to-moon-nasa-chief-says#axzz2PsznG25r Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PleaseBlitz Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Been there done that. /Waits for conspiracy theorists. :paranoid: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 "returning". Yeah right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big#44 Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Not really much of a purpose for NASA to be going back and better for them to focus on Mars anyway. Let the private sector take care of the moon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sacase Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 We have the best possible space station sitting right there and we are failing to take advantage of it. I bet we will be playing catch up in 20 years. Yeah Mars is sexy, but we can put a permanent presence on the moon with less effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjah Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Leave manned Moon missions to those who haven't already done it. There's no compelling reason for us to go back at this time. Space is big, with lots of places to go that represent greater challenges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Been there done that./Waits for conspiracy theorists. :paranoid: It's man made anyway. No point in going back. Seriously though why would they ? Waste of money, same as exploring the rest of space if you can't afford to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Well, I suppose there's something honest about admitting that we've given up, 50 years after we gave up. And I guess that the rest of my feelings are too negative to post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@DCGoldPants Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I think this sucks. I'd like to believe with the tech of today, we could go back and dig/drill into the moon to see/confirm what is under layer after layer. Mars is great, I love following the Rover news on twitter. But couldn't the Moon be a good launching off point for the rest of the solar system? Yeah, it would be expensive to set up there, especially since we didn't replace the Shuttle Fleet (dumb). Oh well, put me in the "negative" group with Larry here. I don't feel we'll explored the Moon nearly enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVAbrendan Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I've always wondered if the moon really is made of cheese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rictus58 Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 It's a simple question Dr, would you eat the moon if it were made of ribs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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