Been there, done that.
Ping.
I’m guessing the evil freaks are already writing Buzz Aldrin’s disparaging “review” of the upcoming speech.
Ping.
I think that we’re far better off letting private industry (read: “SpaceX”) get us into space. Let NASA buy the space from them, as they are far ahead of everyone in developing reliable heavy-lift rockets that can be reused (which is the ONLY way to make it even close to economically feasible). Does the government build aircraft anymore? Nope, it contracts out the work to private industry. We ought to follow that example.
Waste of hundreds of billions of dollars being planned.
There’s a current satellite mission mapping potential landing sites on the dark side of the moon.
The earth does not move (rotate.)
A gyroscope spun up on the surface of the earth will maintain its position (all angles in relationship to its fixed gimbal mount) indefinitely. If the earth were rotating, the gyroscope would move out of position by about 15 degrees per hour.
You can verify this in any commercial aircraft that has a gyroscope based navigation system. Sit in the cockpit, fire up the gyroscope, and observe it for one hour. Its axis of rotation will not change its angle.
The earth does not move (rotate.)
What a waste of taxpayer money. This is not a winning issue in upcoming campaigns. Whats to gain?
The only sane way to return to the Moon is not with a manned expedition. The hazards of the Moon are vacuum, extremes of heat and cold, cosmic and enhanced surface radiation, and extremely abrasive Lunar dust.
The best way to avoid all of these is to first send nuclear powered tunneling robots. Known technology, the lander lands in a crater which is near the northern pole, where there is much more even hot and cold, then it burrows into the side of the crater, making a large, horizontal shaft. At intervals while doing so, it inserts support rebar into the ceiling, a common practice in mines.
Once done, it sprays sealant over the inside surfaces against micro-fractures, then cannibalizes its lander for self sealing pressure doors at the entrance. It uses other lander parts for supports, ceiling, walls and flooring, that connect together like prefab, with electrical wiring already inside them. Finally, almost ready for human habitation, it does a pressure and temperature check. The nuclear power of the robot is used to provide electricity to the habitation.
Only then do you send the humans, so they can bring much more equipment and supplies, so the missions are longer. When the humans leave, they set up the robot to continue to improve the habitation by digging more tunnel space, and even a vertical cistern to store ice and water.
“Manned space flight”
Over budget
with massive cost overruns
Way late in delivery.
One of the biggest disaster areas (money-wise) inside of NASA.