40 years ago mankind did the impossible when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. (I for one think mankind did the impossible when the Apollo team actually returned safely from the moon.)
Check out this Boston.com link -- so amazing pictures:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/remembering_apollo_11.html#photo1The last moonwalk was in 1972. 37 years ago. It was breath taking, it was amazing, it was mind boggling euphoric (remember the moon buggy?). But it was also a trip to a desolate rock with very little redeeming value (other than the obvious tidal and gravitational impact).
Which leads me to this question, what next? Another trip to the moon? A trip to Mars? Why? what is to be gained? When Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, the purpose of his journey can be traced back to one word --- money. There was much to be gained by discovering new trade routes.
What is to be gained by colonizing the moon or exploring Mars? The obvious answer is scientific discovery, but is that enough to sink the billions and billions needed to accomplish such a feat? Without a doubt, Columbus's voyage reaped a huge ROI. What would further activity on the moon reap?
Will mandkind reach out to the stars in ways we can only imagine? Will space exploration end up being a worthwhile venture and if so why? What will the space program look like 40 years from today?
Be curious to know your thoughts.
Topic: 7/20/69 ---> 7/20/49 - Space the final frontier (Read 1226 times)