NO'bama, since his initial inauguration as
God of TSA Stalkers, has declined any chance of us mere mortals re-visiting the Moon ...
Gene Cercon, the last MoonStalker, during the Run-up to The Festival of Capitalism in Dec, 1971.(
Christ was born in Sept/Oct folks, ask any Theologian)
... but it seems NASA/JAXA, and indeed if he had his way, JG too are consciously co-operating on turning our attention towards the Moon, pending some kind of visit, in the next few years.
From New Scientist:
Humans head for moon's orbit – and beyond.http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22546-humans-head-for-moons-orbit--and-beyond.html28 Nov, 2012.
"I JUST have to say pretty bluntly here: we've been there before." So said President Obama in 2010 as he ruled out a return to the moon. But there are signs on the NASA grapevine and from the world of commercial space flight that humans are once more headed that way.
A NASA crewed mission to lunar orbit could focus on exploring the moon's dark side and testing technologies to speed up exploration of Mars and other planets. Unfettered by the demands of state funding, a private mission may attempt something even more novel.
Since Obama's speech, there have been hints that NASA might be changing its tune. Rumour has it that the agency plans to build a hovering moon base about 60,000 kilometres above the moon's far side at a Lagrange point, where the pull of Earth's gravity cancels out the moon's. From this point – called L2 – astronauts would steer rovers round the surface in close to real time, much cheaper than actually landing on the moon.
NASA hasn't commented on the rumour, but the European Space Agency says it is collaborating with NASA on two lunar missions, one crewed and scheduled for 2019 (see "Europe has right stuff to take NASA back to moon").And JG firmly believes that you need to take a look around before you decide to settle down so Quickly, being so at ease with yourselves, and the influence of your Family Ties.
- There's Planets rich of Gold and Platinum out there, to name but a couple of precious Metals.
- And what of the Gem-Stone Oluvine Abundant on Mars?
— And the Titanium-'Fields' on the Moon?!
- And who knows what else you might run into! !
"Where the Flesh meets the Spiritual and The Traffic is Thin".— David Bowie.