Many (I think) people have heard about the U.S. Government's plan to return to the Moon by 2020.  I was wondering what AG thought of this plan.  Personally, I think that it's just a bunch of propagandic baloney.  First off, the U.S. is in debt trillions of dollars to China.  Where would we get the money to launch a ship to put people on the moon? (And where would we get the money to build it?  It costs $80,000 to ship just one gallon of water to the moon!)  Also, it has no purpose but to please the people.  It's also very suspicious because the U.S. wouldn't do this unless there was something in it for them.  I don't know about you peoples, but I know many people are discontent about the war in the Middle East, and the Government is trying to avert another Vietnam  (i.e. the people being very discontent and forcing the U.S. to pull out) by using Project Constellation to distract them.

[b]*NOTE*THIS THREAD IS NOT FOR DISCUSSING THE FIRST LUNAR LANDING (at least, not much).  LET IT BE ASSUMED THAT WE DID LAND ON THE MOON.  (So no debate about that...please)

oops...i forgot about the other bold at the end...

propagandic baloney. 

We'll see in a decade or two.

Constellation Program Overview - 2006

AFP: US manned space flight in doubt 40 years after moon walk

To me, 2020 is quite early. I personally thought that if they plan on sending Americans back there, it will be sometime later than that, seeing how 2020 is only a decade away.

According to that AFP news article I read, projected costs for the program are 150 billion dollars. The costs are quite worrisome, since NASA's budget is definitely not that much.

Also, it has no purpose but to please the people

The only thing I can say, is that according to the official program overview (dated 2006) the Constellation programs is intended to..

Complete the International Space Station

Safely fly the Space Shuttle until 2010

Develop and fly the Crew Exploration Vehicle (Orion) no later than 2014

Return to the Moon no later than 2020

Extend human presence across the solar system and beyond

Implement a sustained and affordable human robotic program

Develop supporting innovative technologies, knowledge and infrastructures

Promote international and commercial participation in exploration.

The information is quite old already and hopefully new info will be available soon.

Nasa should make a hoax and say there's oil on the moon lol I'm jk of course.

I think it would be cool to maybe start putting civilians there later when space is more easy to travel in and also there are many many resources we could use there, although I wouldn't want our moon completely mined out by the time I turn 60 which is what it looks like to me if they do something like that.

I never knew they stopped going to the moon. I thought that was an occasional thing. Huh?

Nasa should make a hoax and say there's oil on the moon lol I'm jk of course.

Oh dang, the government would have us there in a matter of weeks if that was the case.

I think it would be cool to maybe start putting civilians

It would be cool to start a colony there, start expanding the Human empire. Mwahahaha *coughpoormooncough*

:( the moon would be mad but we wouldn't have to worry about green house gases on the moon though! YA! I'M SMART WHAT NOW PUNK! lol

I think it would be cool to maybe start putting civilians there later when space is more easy to travel in and also there are many many resources we could use there, although I wouldn't want our moon completely mined out by the time I turn 60 which is what it looks like to me if they do something like tha

Colonization of the moon is something I can be definite about. Though I am not sure if we will live to see that.

I never knew they stopped going to the moon. I thought that was an occasional thing. Huh?

The last visit was in 1973. At least 36 years ago.

It would be cool to start a colony there, start expanding the Human empire. Mwahahaha *coughpoormooncough*

Hahaha! Though this isn't really science fiction. Human colonization of the solar system and beyond can and will occur sometime in the future. I hope to be alive by then.

although I wouldn't want our moon completely mined out by the time I turn 60 which is what it looks like to me if they do something like that.

I don't think the Moon could be mined out in half a century, since we do not know when the Moon will be colonized.

Ya well I guess you are right but I know there are some countries eager to do that just to put some cash in their pockets.

Ya well I guess you are right but I know there are some countries eager to do that just to put some cash in their pockets.

I know. Though there will be some sort of opposition against overmining of the moon. I am quite sure the Moon will not be brought to ruin like that unchecked.

Going to Moon is just a waste of resources. There are just rocks. And how do people plan to colonize the solar system? We need food, water and air. Plus gravity is different on other planets then Earth's gravity, it affects bones. Living outside Earth is unnatural and bad for health. We ain't going anywhere.