Return To The Moon

Published November 2001 - Ad Astra Magazine

In the last few years, Mars has been the focus of our collective attention. The Mars Global Surveyor, Sojourner roaming the surface, and now the latest probe, the Mars Odyssey, have been launched to the red planet early April of this year. The Russians are also talking of a manned excursion around 2020. But is this is the next logical step for mankind?

Don’t get me wrong. I am all for space exploration and the quest for knowledge, especially through personal experience. In fact, I feel quite strongly that mankind needs to expand beyond the cradle of our planet Earth. A trip to Mars would definitely meet this goal; however, past experience has shown that once the novelty of an excursion has worn off, the enthusiasm towards that goal is lost. This can be seen with our past voyages to the Moon. Many compare the modern space age and the exploration of space to Columbus coming to the Americas. But what if he had traveled back to Europe, told of all the riches and resources he found here, and then it was decided not to come back? This is the same situation we have with the Moon, considering the vast resources and opportunities found on the lunar surface. We have become so involved with what is over the next hill, or on the next planetary body as the case may be, that we have passed over an extremely useful resource.

Take, for example, the minerals located there. On the surface, aluminium and silicon are found in abundant amounts. If these were mined and refined, a power station could be built which could then supplement the impending shortage of power here on Terra Firma. Safe, clean power derived from sunlight could be beamed straight down to the surface. The knowledge and plans have been made by several countries, including Russia. The only things needed are the money and the initiative. The cost of another lunar expedition geared towards settlement and production would be less than a trip to Mars, with more benefits, such as closer resources and transportation of any goods created there. Not only this, but we would be able to get these commodities returned to Earth much sooner.