Many Americans think NASA returning to the moon is a waste of time and it should prioritize asteroid hunting instead, a poll shows::Americans like NASA, but don’t support their funding going towards moon missions, according to new polls.
Many Americans think NASA returning to the moon is a waste of time and it should prioritize asteroid hunting instead, a poll shows::Americans like NASA, but don’t support their funding going towards moon missions, according to new polls.
Asteroid hunting is simply tracking them. You do not need to be on the moon for that. Satellite telescopes would do just fine. Doing something about those asteroids? Having something on the moon could be helpful, sure but getting the necessary manufacturing on the moon to deflect a possible asteroid would be massive and likely not something that we would prioritize considering it would likely be a one off event.
I’m perfectly happy going back to the moon, BTW. I’d prefer Mars but I’ll settle for the moon. But NASA can walk and chew gum at the same time. They can hunt asteroids and go back to the moon.
Tracking them is tracking them. Hunting them is intercepting and interfering with them. Which requires launching an interceptor. Which is less fuel intensive if launched from the moon.
It’s true that getting infrastructure onto the moon is a huge effort, but it’s a gateway to everything else we might want to do. Including going to Mars. If you could refuel on the Moon, a Mars mission would be much more viable.