Im not really sure what the point of the moon landing was? I have to assume it was to show dominance globally since we were competing with the soviets? More of a psychological thing? We never really did anything with the moon itself. There arent any colonies, there arent nukes that can be launched from the moon. Seems odd to me.
And since we havent been back to the moon since the early 70's...that sort of goes to show how pointless it was. Id like to think with our current technology, it would be a lot easier to get there now? Why not go back?
Ponyboy, I think that, if we humans do not destroy our planet with nuclear or environmental catastrophe, we will go back sooner or later. BUT you raise a question that will be seriously debated by historians in the future. 50 years is insignificant in the history of humanity, but it is NOT insignificant in the context of the industrial revolution. The internet, which is the second technological revolution, has transformed the world in under 30 years.
And think of the 30 year period following the voyages of Columbus. A whole new world (to the Eastern Hemisphere) was discovered and transformed in that period - BEFORE any industrial revolution. It happened so quickly!
On the other hand, there were Viking settlements in the Western Hemisphere that were never followed up. There was also an important voyage of discovery made by the Chinese empire around the Horn of Africa BEFORE the Portuguese sailed in the opposite direction. Also never followed up. Historians use these two examples to demonstrate that "advances" and "discoveries" can also result in dead ends, and "something else" is required.
Future historians will be writing volumes on that missing "something else." Was it private enterprise? Columbus's initial voyages were government projects, but private enterprise (and privateers!) soon entered the field. Was it that *gold* showed up as part of the earliest results? Was it the social dynamism caused by conflict in Europe?
I think that one observation that needs to be kept in mind is that "Space" has NOT been abandoned. There has been a steady expansion of research projects in space, still mostly government sponsored, from an increasing number of states There have been great discoveries.
Had I to bet, I would say that we - humanity, not necessarily the US - will be back to the moon in my lifetime (and I watched that first landing). Again, IF we are not overwhelmed by nuclear or environmental catastrophe. And I think there will be a rapid uptick from now on in private enterprise in space, which will gradually become a driver.
But it would be great if those of us who enjoy thinking about this would pull together our thoughts on why this 50 year hiatus, because our descendents WILL be interested in what we think about it.
