NASA seems hell bent to go to Mars, but can't afford to on its own.
Its international partners have no stomach for that — they would would rather return to our moon and build a base there for further exploration.
Doesn't going back to the moon make more sense? Build a base on the moon, and use its low gravity and possible water at the poles as propellant for further space exploration?
Why not the moon first?
http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/7/11868840/moon-return-journey-to-mars-nasa-congress-space-policy
Links:
From NASA itself, in 2008: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/series/moon/why_go_back.html
The all-knowing, ever-trustworthy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonization_of_the_Moon
(Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Thursday June 09 2016, @02:06AM
I have to wonder if Russia and China want to mine the moon for He3 [wikipedia.org] as its more plentiful there (the only place its more plentiful is the gas giants) and it looks like it will be required for fusion reactors to become a reality.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.