I have been thinking about our most recent decision to return to the Moon after 51 long years. It has been half-a-century since we last set foot on the Moon, and now, after all of this time, we have decided to return? It makes me wonder why we are returning after all of this time. Are we not going to have to reinvent the wheel all over again? After 51 years of technological progress, we still have to return to the Moon the same way we did it 50 years ago? It seems that way, does it not? Why is this the case?
That is what I would like to know, besides the reason for our return. Is this newest Moon mission going to be like the last, or are we finally going to establish a base on the surface of the Moon? I would like to have these questions answered, and I have not yet heard the reasons for our return. However, I suspect it is because both Communist China and India have designs for landing on the surface of the Moon for the first time.
Would it not be an embarrassment for our nation if either of these two world powers beat us there first? It certainly would, and yet we are on the spot to try to return to the Moon before either of these two world powers makes it there and lands on the Moon successfully before us. They will undoubtedly put on a good show for the world after landing successfully on the surface of the Moon, and we will be standing there with egg on our faces simply because we could not duplicate the technology that took us to the Moon 51 years ago.
Why do we not instead go to Mars and forget this side-show? What will we do after we return to the Moon? Will we establish a Moon colony, or will we build another Shuttle to nowhere? The Shuttle was meant to take us to the Moon and back from a space-based platform such as the International Space station; however, we have been told that never happened, or did it? Why have we suddenly abandoned the Space Shuttle? Could it be that a new and better spacecraft has replaced it?
Actually, it has been replaced by another space vehicle; it is called the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. It completed its fifth mission recently. Having been in near-earth orbit for nearly two years, it only recently returned to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. However, little else is known of its capabilities. Supposedly, only one-fourth the length of the Space Shuttle, it is referred to as the mini-Shuttle. It is alleged to be an unmanned Shuttle having no pilot. Most of its test flights and missions have been kept top-secret.
I would like our Congressional leaders and specifically President Trump, to announce that we have decided to refocus our efforts on a mission to Mars and not waste our time and money returning to the Moon unless they can show a very good reason why we are going back there, aside from trying to beat Communist China or India to the Moon. It would be a tremendous waste of money.
We have the technology in place as we speak that could take us to Mars and back in a matter of days; however, that technology is super-secret without any justifiable reason. We must demand from our illustrious leaders that it is now time to come out-of-the-closet, so to speak, and reveal the new technology that has been developed over the past half-century. This new technology would change the face of this planet if it were only allowed to be utilized to help humankind instead of destroying it with space-based weapon systems.
We need to introduce to the world the technology that we and our allies have developed over the past 51 years when we have seemingly done nothing in space except fly a few deep space probes into the far reaches of our own solar system. Why do we not demand of President Trump, the technology and know-how that he himself is aware of, and the reason the President wants to go to Mars instead of the Moon? Can we all get behind this effort now, since we have a President who listens to the people for once? He will listen if we all shout loud enough to be heard over all the rhetoric that we will surely hear, saying, what a wonderful thing the United States is returning to the Moon again after 51 years. Maybe it will be fantastic for those of you who were not yet born when the United States first set foot on the Moon's surface. It was indeed an exciting day that happened! I was only 14 years old at that time; today, I am nearing 67 years of age. That should tell you even better how long it has been since we last visited the Moon. Do you not think it is time to take another "Giant Leap for Mankind" by going to Mars instead of the Moon?
Written by Wayne Hill
Trinity Insights Publications
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