Bush wants Mars

I agree with Mark. If you want to send people to Mars, then launch the components in Low Earth Orbit, bolt them together, light the candle and GO. Never mind lugging everything to the Moon.Besides, you'll run into all kinds of litigation problems if you choose a landing site on the Moon that has already been purchased by someone on Ebay.(:raig

Okay Holmes,Let's build your moon base to make Mars Mission components. When I say make, I mean manufacture. So what do you need to "lug" from earth to set up shop.* Surveying vehicles to find your raw materials in sufficient quantities to make metal alloys.* Mining equipment to extract the raw ore and transport it to a smelter.* Smelting furnaces to reduce the ore into metal ingots.* Machine tools and stamping tools to shape the ingots into finished metal components.* If you are intent on using plastics, I seriously doubt you'll find petroleum in sufficient quantities to make the necessary distillates that plastic manufacture requires. So send along a few oil tankers with your next Earth - Moon shuttle run.* Power, lots of power. Solar? Nuclear? In any event, you need all sorts of electrical euqipment. Generators, motors, batteries, air conditioning and heaters.* A substantial skilled labor force. Throw in a rec hall, movie theater and swimming pool. Also a Hilton Hotel for visiting management and a Motel 6 for relatives of hourly workers. Oh, and don't forget your Avis Moon Buggy rental office and scoop out a playground and park with hiking trails. ALL SET? Now you can make you Mars Mission components from "moon materials". Cost effective? Uuuhhhhhh. NO.(:raig

I'll concede that a moon base would be a fantastic place to do science. But as a business venture, it would flop. You would never recoop your "setup" costs. You make it sound like after the intial investment, everything would be hunky-dory. You have to MAINTAIN the friggin' place. Big budgets. Big commitments. Long term commitments.The Chinese will probably get back to the moon before we do. Why? Not because they are Communists, but because they are Chinese. National pride took us to the moon ahead of the Russians. National pride will take the Chinese to the moon ahead of us. And the Chinese leaders don't have to worry about stupid things like voters and elections and Congression budget committees. Nice position to be in.I never said it wasn't worth it. But, like Amtrak, it will never pay for it self. When the shuttle program was still on the drawing boards, we the taxpapers were promised that the shuttle flights would be so efficient and regular that each flight would cost about $34 million. Ya, right!But, I would jump at the chance to take you on in a game of 8 ball at Moon Base Holmes rec center. What happens when you break in 1/6th earth gravity? I'd love to find out.BTW holmes - Where on the moon are you going to get the silica sand for your glass and ceramic manufacture?(:raig