Expert: Tom Whiting - 6/24/2009

Question
It is now 40 years since astronauts were walking on the Moon. Should we return?"

Answer
Hi Marlene,
Yes, of course...and then onward to Mars, the Main Asteroid Belt
(lots of mining of minerals and metals which by then we'll be
getting low on in say, another 100 years), and finally on to the stars.  The moon will be our first "permanent base" off the Earth because it is so close.

Did Columbus just have one Voyage?  No he came to the New World
4 times. And he was followed by others.  Did the Wright Brothers fly only once at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903 and then say, "Ok pack it in...time to go home to Dayton Ohio and never fly again"?   No.
Did we only go to the moon once? No, we landed 6 times. Did Hillary
climb Mt. Everest, then no one else followed him up?  No, many climbers have been up Everest now.

It's just human nature to just explore and expand outward.
And look at all the NASA spin-offs from the 50 year old Space program -Google NASA spin-offs.

Plus, we're all going to have to get off this planet eventually,
as the sun swells into a Red Giant Star beginning about 2-3 billion
years from now. I know that's a long time, BUT one does not develop
and invent interstellar travel in 100 years time...it takes a
while to learn how to do that, and actually accomplish it...better
earlier than later.  Someday we'll have to find another Earth-like
planet to move to, as the Earth becomes inhabitable with an expanding
sun.

Plus, we kind of have our orders from above...did he not say, "Go Forth and Multiply?"  Yes.  You think He...knowing the Big Picture of Everything (Universe)....you think He was only talking about this crummy little 8000 mile diameter Rock we live on?  Of course not.
He meant, go out into space and explore and multiply the human race.
Plus, once we humans are established on several other planets, then if the Earth takes a Big Hit (asteroid)...at least there will be
survivors to carry on the human race, and an "image of God" will
continue surviving onward.
So there are some pretty good reasons...you may not agree with
all of them, but they are good starters.
Clear Skies,
Tom Whiting
Erie, PA

FOLLOW UP:
Oh, that NASA spinoff website is at
http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html
Clear Skies,
Tom