A moon landing and the future

Recently, July 20, we celebrated the moon landing of three American Astronauts, which occurred on the above date in 1969. I was waiting to go to Woodstock, but I remembered where I was on that day. All of friends and family were gathered around a TV on that great American Day. Now as we celebrate that 47th Anniversary, we remember that it was President Kennedy’s desire to have a manned moon landing before the end of the decade. Kennedy never lived to see it, but I get a chance to ask his close friend and Speechwriter Theodore Sorensen how would Kennedy have felt about his challenge and promise being made? You know the result.
That is not real question in the present tense. The question is why did we not go back? We know that President George W. Bush proposed going back to the moon in January 2004, but it did not go far, as the rockets were based largely on one-term use. We do have the technology to go and come back, and there our valued resources on the moon, including water, ice, which, according to one source can be split via electrolysis into oxygen and hydrogen. Scientists believe these elements can be used in fuel cells, which can be used to make liquid rocket fuel for an easier trip to Mars.
Other nations, like China, Russia, and the European Space Agency are working on Robotic prospectors to search for material like the resources listed above on the surface of the moon. The U.S. budget for NASA is pitifully small. There are jobs, resources and a future in space, but it seems we cannot just jump to Mars. Let us keep Kennedy’s challenge and continue with the moon and onward.
Bill Weightman
Hardyston