Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Why Not Go Back to the Moon?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Politics and Perils of Space Exploration

Part of the book series: Springer Praxis Books ((SPACEE))

  • 1293 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter explores the reasons why NASA is choosing to go to Mars instead of going back to the Moon. The politics affecting this decision is discussed including initial attempts for financial support by President George H.W. Bush in the late 1980s to President George W. Bush in 2003 and up to current decisions from President Obama’s era. Opposing thoughts still exist whether to set up a lunar base to serve as a space platform to travel to deep space versus moving directly to manned Mars missions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 29.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    David, Leonard. 04 Oct 2010. Is mining rare minerals on the moon vital to national security? Space.com. [Internet] [cited 2016 Apr 02]. Available from: http://www.space.com/news/moon-mining-rare-elements-security-101004.html

  2. 2.

    Achenbach, Joel. NASA strategy can’t get humans to Mars, says National Research Council spaceflight report. The Washington Post. 05 June 2014.

  3. 3.

    Bilger, Burkhard. Apr 22, 2013. The martian chroniclers—a new era in planetary exploration. The New Yorker. 89:10:64–79.

  4. 4.

    Dick, Steve. Summary of space exploration initiative. Nasa.gov. [Internet] [cited 2016 April 02]. Available from: http://history.nasa.gov/seisummary.htm

  5. 5.

    Mail FS. 02 Feb 2010. Obama scraps new moon mission. Daily Mail. [London (UK)]: 8.

  6. 6.

    Burks, Robin. Tech Times. 7 Jan 2015. Should we go to the moon before mars? These Astronauts Think So. [Internet] [cited 2015 April 22]. Available from: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/24920/20150107/astronauts-think-we-should-go-to-the-moon-before-mars.htm

  7. 7.

    Hedman, Eric. 04 Aug 2014. The Moon or Mars?. The Space Review. [Internet] [cited 2015 June 05]. Available from: http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2737/1

  8. 8.

    Weitering, Hanneke. 04 Feb 2014. NASA opts out of new moon race. [Internet] [cited 2015 June 05]. Available from: http://scienceline.org/2015/02/nasa-opts-out-of-new-moon-race/

  9. 9.

    Reuters.com technology staff. 15 Jan 2015. China to land probe on dark side of the moon in 2018: Xinhua. Reuters.com. [Internet] [cited 2016 June 16]. Available from: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-moon-science-idUSKCN0UT030

  10. 10.

    Harrington, Rebecca. Techinsider.io 21 Apr 2016. China plans to reach Mars by 202o and eventually build a moon base. [Internet] [cited 2016 June 16]. Available from: http://www.techinsider.io/china-plans-mars-moon-landings-2016-4

  11. 11.

    Harrington, Rebecca. Techinsider.io 21 Apr 2016. China plans to reach Mars by 202o and eventually build a moon base. [Internet] [cited 2016 June 16]. Available from: http://www.techinsider.io/china-plans-mars-moon-landings-2016-4

  12. 12.

    Space.com Staff. 5 Sep 2015. A manned mission to Mars is closer to reality than ever. Space.com. [Internet] [cited 2015 June 05]. Available from: http://www.space.com/30580-nasa-manned-mars-mission-reality.html

  13. 13.

    Poppick, Laura. Space.com Staff Writer. 2 Jan 2014. Moon rovers planned for commercial lunar exploration project. [Internet] [cited 2015 April 23]. Available from: http://www.space.com/23946-golden-spike-private-moon-rover-designer.html

  14. 14.

    NASA selects commercial space partners for collaborative partnerships. U.S. Fed News (USA). 25 Dec 2014.

  15. 15.

    Moon Express, Inc. website. [Internet] [cited 2016 June 16]. Available from: http://www.moonexpress.com/missions.html

  16. 16.

    Kramer, Miriam. Space.com Staff Writer. 21 July 2014. The future of moon exploration, lunar colonies and humanity. [Internet] [cited 2015 April 26]. Available from: http://www.space.com/26584-future-of-moon-exploration.html

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, University of Washington, Tacoma, WA, USA

    Linda Dawson

Authors
  1. Linda Dawson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Dawson, L. (2017). Why Not Go Back to the Moon?. In: The Politics and Perils of Space Exploration. Springer Praxis Books(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-38813-7_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation