NASA announced today that analysis of the LCROSS mission data has revealed the presence of large amounts of water on the Moon. The New York Times headline read "Satellite Found Water on Moon, Researchers Say" and an avalanche of positive news coverage followed. By the end of the day even Google got into the act with a special image on their search page celebrating the discovery. Since the Augustine Committee's gloomy assessment last month of the prospects for a continued manned space program it has seemed that all the momentum for the Vision for Space Exploration had dissipated. Now, thanks to LCROSS and this amazing discovery, I hope that the vision to return to the Moon and stay there will again gain support in political circles. We find money in our national budget for all kinds of things and we spend more on them than we do on NASA, and yet NASA can make sure that humanity isn't just a one-planet wonder. With the world under threat from climate change, asteroid impacts, and the vagaries of Mayan calendar, isn't that worth investing in?
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This is great news to hear! If we could only find more deposits of water on the surface, we may actually see a lunar base within our life time.
Posted by: Darnell Clayton | November 16, 2009 at 08:14 PM
Darnell, I hope so. If nothing else, this discovery should give the politicians the cover they need to boost the NASA budget during the recession.
Posted by: Joel | November 18, 2009 at 11:23 PM