NASA has today revealed that its Lunar Programme is in jeopardy due to a lack of funds. It seems the United Sates Government wishes to save billions of dollars by slashing the budget.
Ever since the Russian Sputnik was launched in 1957 there has been a race to get into space by the major powers. So far as the moon is concerned, both Russia and the USA spent trillions of dollars in moon exploration culminating in the first moon landing in 1969. Since then of course moon exploration has continued with a myriad of unmanned satellites being launched at it with a view to finding out more about our nearest neighbour.
Speculation has been rife about the possibility of moon colonisation, and various attempts have been made to see if there is water there, a prerequisite of any eventual habitation by humans.
This week NASA launched a new satellite to study the craters and do a reconnaissance which will enable a manned return there at sometime in the future.
However, I have to ask why we continue to imagine people living on the moon? It may be well and good for scientists and perhaps astronomers, but outside of the scientific community I can't see anyone mad enough to want to go and live there! I certainly wouldn't. I wouldn't even be able to watch the F1 Grand Prix season each year, and as for an occasional fish and chips or pizza, forget it!
Can you, even for a moment, envisage people living in a dust-bowl with no trees or plants, birds, insects or animals, in fact not a bit of green or life anywhere?
And apart from that obvious hardship, there would be no cinemas, no cars as such, and probably no jobs. So how would you live. How do you build a house when all the bricks keep disappearing into the 'sky' because there is only 1/6th gravity on the moon.
The thought of having to wear such a huge bulky space-suit every time you want to go out for a meal or a drink is unthinkable, that's presuming there will even be bars and restaurants! There will be no romance in the moonlight either. Shucks!
There could be advantages to living there however; no police, no pollution, no terrorists, some will say no TV, no parking fines and no traffic lights, no jails, no mosquito's, and no politicians. However, on second thoughts it would not be long before they gained a foothold!
Can you imagine the constant complaints from the wife at all the dust that continually gets brought into the house? What would she do without her makeup, without a washing machine and hairdryer! How on earth (sorry about the pun) do you wash a space-suit? What would her reaction be when she cannot run down to the shops to buy herself a new pair of jeans or knickers? What would she do about her hair; Oh my goodness! Life would become unbearable in minutes!
Of course, the only good thing about moon colonisation would be getting away from any future nuclear holocaust here on Earth if it should happen.
But to me the downside is a lot bigger than the upside and I for one will be staying right here.
The only 'Moon-walk' I want to see is from Michael Jackson!
Roy.
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