China toehold on Moon

[Netpackrat]

Looks like they are taking the first steps toward being able to build a permanent presence on the ultimate high ground.

https://www.livescience.com/64413-china ... imals.html

[Gunnuts]

The libs made lots of fun of Trump signing Space Policy Directive-3.

I'm sure this is just a coincidence.

Growing up with Apollo, this chaps my ass on many levels.

[Netpackrat]

Also note that they are setting up on the far side, where we can't just whack them with an Earth based or Earth orbiting laser. We will have to re-develop the capability to go get them.

[blackeagle603]

yep, nothing to see here folks. Move along.

[Odahi]

The US definitely needs to re-develop some capabilities. Congress has been far too short-sighted for far too long. We're talking about the future of the human species here. As far as China, a Farside base is not ideal for attacking Earthly targets, although it does have the advantage of having a very large shield between it and any potential Earth-based attacks. Orbiting platforms would be cheaper and faster to put in place, and would have direct targeting and shorter flight times too. A better choice for them or us, IMO. Also, a 3-kg experiment isn't exactly a major, imminent threat. It's a place to start building basic capability, though, and more than we have at the moment. Elon Musk isn't just some starry-eyed dreamer, and he's actively working to make humans a multi-planet species, which is more than most governments can say. I personally would like to see space stations in Earth orbit, at Lagrange points, and on the Lunar and Martian surfaces. More is definitely better. But that's going to take a few years... While Lunar regolith is useful as raw materials, I would like to see us develop asteroid/comet mining capability as well. There is water on the Moon, sure, but there are whole moons of water ice just about everywhere farther out from us. Sure, Europa and Enceladus have liquid water, and potential life, and should probably be studied and preserved rather than "strip-mined," but there are LOTS of sources of water out there, far more than there is in the bottoms of shadowed craters on the Moon or Mercury, and asteroids contain a greater variety of materials than can be found on Luna. I remember reading a story about an MIT project that could have sent a mass-driver probe to the asteroid belt, and brought a nickel-iron asteroid back to Earth orbit. They even had the target picked out, and it could have allowed us to stop mining for iron for about 200 years. That's just ONE body of thousands. The only resource problem out there is location, not scarcity. I guess I was born 100 years too soon, I'm almost 62 years old and will be long dead before we are established throughout the Solar System. I hope our descendants make it out there. Hell, I hope we last long enough as a species to HAVE descendants. So far, I'm not super optimistic.

[Netpackrat]

While not a major, imminent threat, what China is doing is taking the first steps towards not only being able to go there, but to stay.

[Odahi]

I'm not arguing, we all know the Chinese play a long game. It's very smart, smarter than we have been. I'm not sure how frightened I am of their base, but their ultimate objectives do worry me. Ah, never mind me, I'm rambling.

[Weetabix]

We'll see how it works out for them. After all, the moon is a harsh mistress.

[Netpackrat]

I remember reading a story about an MIT project that could have sent a mass-driver probe to the asteroid belt, and brought a nickel-iron asteroid back to Earth orbit. They even had the target picked out, and it could have allowed us to stop mining for iron for about 200 years.

Look no further for why that project was never going to happen.

[Vonz90]

We'll see how it works out for them. After all, the moon is a harsh mistress.

That is exactly why the Chicoms are going there, the kinky SOBs.