Rethinking the moon

I just finished a book on the Apollo missions. The book was called A Man on the Moon

by Andrew Chaikin, with a foreword by Tom Hanks who played Jim Lovell in the 1995 movie, Apollo 13.

It was impressive that we (as a people) had traveled so far to the moon so long ago. Why go back to the moon? Already done that?

Due to lack of public interest and government funding, we (NASA) unfortunately never has gone back. We have sent out probes and rovers - which is really cool. Just not the same as sending people.

According to Google Moon, an online interactive map of the moon landings. it looks like all the Apollo missions were relatively close to each other. Not just in the time, but geographical space.

It would be like some alien race - if one actually exists - landing in New Jersey and claiming the studied the Earth. The Garden state barely represents this planet.

I’m sure a lot of data has been gleamed in several ways over the years, like the presences of Helium 3 on the moon - which could be mined and used as a power source.

Until the warp drive or some other means of faster, more efficient propulsion can be invented, funding should be provided for all kinds of space exploration. Including going back to the moon.