Why Haven't We Been Back to the Moon?
Why haven't we been back to the moon? The answer may surprise you. Image Credit: NASA
As the anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission approaches on July 20, many people are left wondering why we haven't established a research base on the moon - or even been back?
Footprints on the moon. Image Credit: NASA
Short answer: It's expensive and our government prioritizes military funding over space exploration and scientific research.
Heard of the Space Race? When Kennedy agreed to send people to the moon, it was essentially part of Cold War political posturing: showing other nations that we can build rockets so powerful that they can land humans on the moon - so you'd better watch out. America's got big space balls.
Although a significant amount of research was accomplished throughout the Apollo missions, you'd think 45 years after landing humans on the moon, we'd be even remotely close to establishing some kind of moon base. Unfortunately our nation's political leaders have other agendas, forcing space research lower and lower on the priority totem pole. NASA's funding was at an all-time high in 4% of the federal budget in 1965 and has continued to decline - barely standing today at a meek 0.47%.
The bottom line is that our society doesn't yet truly see the value of space exploration. If we could have shifted our thinking from fighting wars to international scientific cooperation, we'd have likely reached Mars by now.
ScienceAlert sums it up perfectly:
The real driving force behind that government commitment to return to the Moon is the will of the American people, who vote for politicians and help shape their policy priorities. But public interest in lunar exploration has always been lukewarm.
So - what can we do?
- Vote for leaders that will push the boundaries.
- Look for opportunities to sign a petition or call your congressman.
- Donate to organizations such as The Planetary Society, Space Foundation, or heck, even NASA.
- Share articles about space news with your friends, on social media, and get others excited about the possibilities.
ANY contribution matters, and the more of us that call, ask, sign, and donate, the larger our overall impact will be.
