Now, NASA has been planning to shoot for the moon again, but there have been many different opinions. President George W. Bush approved this plan and even offered to fund it; however, President Obama requested that the system review its plans again. The biggest problem for NASA to launch another rocket to the moon was the money it took to build one. Many others have suggested building fewer expensive rockets or for the government to raise NASA’s salary. Obama has also revealed the cost: NASA’s annual salary is $18 billion, while the cost would be $3 billion. However, shooting for the moon is still a better move to make.
Going back to the moon can leave space for inventing new technologies and help us understand more about the solar system. The moon has already let us see the Earth from a different view and helped us create many new inventions; going back there again can inspire even more new inventions. Kring says, “If you really want to understand the origin of the evolution of the solar system, there is no better place to go than the moon.” There were many rock samples brought from the moon to Earth in which scientists have discovered some surprising geologic history of Earth and the moon within these rocks. Using information from the moon, many scientists have found how the Moon has created and learned how the Earth looked like in a different, faraway, view. There also have been many surprising inventions that came from the Apollo moon landings. In the 1960s, NASA invented water purification from an Apollo moon landing. Then, NASA invented the breathing mask (also used by firefighters nowadays), polymer fabric, and even cordless devices! If NASA takes another trip to the moon, we are likely to find out even more factors, as the moon is still not fully discovered.
The moon contains another very important advantage: it is a stepping stone for investigating Mars. Mars is a very important planet that NASA is trying to investigate because it might have very similarities with Earth; it is predicted that organisms can actually survive on Mars! NASA has made a few trips to the moon, but directly rocketing from Earth to Mars would take 7 whole months, at 24,500 mph (39,600 kph), 300 million miles (480 million kilometers). However, if the crew first goes to the moon, which would take 3 days, 240,000 miles, they can then rocket off to Mars when the Moon hits the right angle. That would mean 3 days off the direct trip from Earth the Mars. But why is going to Mars so important? Mars contains certain elements similar to Earth: nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen, krypton, neon, ozone, xenon, water vapor, and more. It is also found that before, quite a long time ago, Mars consisted of a lot of water and there could have been certain organisms that lived there. However, as Mars collided with a huge asteroid, it became the dry planet we see today. The moon can greatly help NASA and other scientists board Mars easier than without using the moon as a stepping stone.
This trip to the moon again could greatly inspire tons - even a whole generation - of scientists and engineers. The Apollo trips have inspired tons - thousands - of people; including many scientists and engineers. A 2009 survey determined that 800 researchers were inspired by the Apollo space missions to the moon. The survey states that “the Moon landings deserve credit for motivating a large fraction of today's scientists ... who have published in Nature in the past three years.” These inspirations can motivate more and more scientists and engineers to research more and find out more about the geological history of the moon, new inventions, and more about the whole solar system. That way, all progress could be so much easier. It would be a lot quicker with thousands of people working together to discover more factors than just the NASA crew trying to solve questions in the solar system. Not only does inspiration motivate society, but it can actually help NASA solve one big problem: the lack of money to build another rocket. Obama himself revealed that NASA’s annual salary was $18 billion, while the rocket and all the planning would cost $3 billion in total. However, information on shooting to the moon again can motivate and interest eager people and companies to donate to NASA. There have already been many donations to NASA, and just a few dollars can help at this time. Inspiration from shooting to the moon again can motivate interested people to discover things from previous research or even donate to NASA.
NASA has been planning to shoot for the moon again; while many disagree, sending rockets to the moon again has the most advantages. Moon exploring can help scientists to discover new technologies, inventions, and factors that can add to the informational history that we now know about the early solar system. The moon has another important advantage: we can use the moon to reach a new destination: Mars. It would be easier to first go to the moon and then to Mars; the moon can also let astronauts experience being on a different planet other than Earth to get the crew ready for Mars. Another rocket shooting to the moon can also inspire and motivate scientists and even normal people to discover more about previous findings and also donate to NASA if one is willing enough. Exploring the moon once again can have many benefits.
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