Looks like rumored NASA announcement is gonna be about going back to the MOON.

For what? We already went there a long time ago. Amazing that we haven't done shit since then. We'd have kick ass Battlestar Galactic by now.

That's the thing - - We should have Battlestar Galactica by now. The Human species' evolution comes from their own intelligence. We have been stuck in a rut for decades. Let's stop putzing around and explore the universe!

bollocks

Maybe we should start building cylons! That's how it got them started with these kickass battlestars ships!

Man, I'm really conflicted on this. Although I recognize that such efforts are important and really drive technological innovation, and for my own personal and less-logical reasons would like to see another manned moon landing, I don't think this is the time.

I mean we're spending WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much money. And we don't have any of the money we're spending. We're loading up every thing, big and small, on the future generations and they will be paying this off for the next hundreds years or more.

Yeah, the more I think about it, we can't afford this. I wanna see this happen, but I gotta be an adult about this. Not now. We have other things to worry about.

Not terribly surprising. I'd already been hearing that they were thinking of doing a lunar orbit flight for the second SLS test, now they're talking about going to L2 instead. Different mission profile, but same basic hardware. Now if they unveil the new version of the Altair lander and propose to send that along as well for a landing on the far side, that would be huge. It would also blow their current budget to bits, so I doubt it.

So NASA has most of the equipment on hand they would require to go to the moon?

You don't REALLY believe that, now do you?

All the moon deniers are shitting themselves

That would be awesome. Back in 2008, Obummer cut funds to NASA and I was pissed to say the least. Our country is depressed and bleak and I feel that by starting this program back up again, that it would give the USA a refreshing hope once again.

Rather than decades, centuries is probably closer to the mark.

Look at the stuff Da Vinci was thinking up back in the 1500s. Who knows where we might be now if the church hadn't been so severly supressing science back then.

It will be more Obama bullshit lies, if anything.

There are no Muslims or welfare negros on the moon to deliver money to, ergo, he has no interest.

To what political end?

A Democrat Senate and a Communist President would agree to a scientific expenditure that would garner no votes and no personal power?

Won't happen.

Hope they use something other than giant fireworks.

We went there but not in 1080P! Think about how great the Red Bull Stratos mission looked streaming on You Tube. Our capability is so much better. I want to see the Moon in HD, the footage will be amazing!

[link to www.spaceexplorationday.us]

We spend WAAAYYY too little.

^this^

No, but they're already in the process of building it anyway. It was originally part of Constellation, then canned by obama and now as part of his mandate to go to near earth asteroids and then mars. There's a big ass mobile launch platform collecting rust right now sitting outside next to the VAB just waiting for the rocket to be built and tested. Originally it was going to be for constellation, now it's going to be for the new "Space Launch System" (basically constellation's "DIRECT" alternative rebranded and retargeted).

What was going to be the Ares V is now going to be an all-in-one launcher that will boost up both the earth departure stages and the capsule all at once instead of in two separate launches (with Ares I and Ares V). The Block I version will still require two launches to be able to haul a lander up in addition to the earth departure stage and manned capsule though, which will meet up in low earth orbit before heading out. The later versions of the same rocket will be more powerful and haul everything up at once. What I think they're going to be talking about here is a single launch to put up an earth departure stage and capsule to send to the moon's L2 point behind the moon in orbit, and then come back without landing. Landing would require them to wait for the Altair lander to be built, flown & tested, etc. and require launching an additional rocket just to haul the lander.

Well said, OP! Giving you five stars for that.

I know, but a man can dream.

Amen! totally feeling the love on this thread.

Again?

Dreamers become revolutionaries. I just need to have some pride in my country again. I think this might do the trick.

Dream on Astro! Good to see some positive attitude here.

Set up a fuel depot in a permanently shadowed polar crater processing the ice into cryogenic fuel? Build a ground based space telescope on the lunar surface that would put hubble and all others to shame? Start mining helium 3 and develop a fusion reactor that can use it? I can think of a number of things we never got to do before.

Nex thing you know the chinese will anounce that they want to colonize Mars... NASA will look pretty lame then :o)

There are many human bases on the moon pure and simple. Black ops projects can go back and forth as they please in no time at all.

Ohhh I see astromut is back.

Whoa! My first pin! Thanks guys!

After all this election business, it feels to good to be excited about something again.