Lunar Water Discovery Announced

[oddjob]

Originally Posted by Molten

Scientific exploration should be done for scientific significance. I'd hope we have more reason to focus on Mars then "its new" when we haven't really learned all there is to know about the Moon(or even Earth). Is it really just for the wow factor? or is there something more to it?

If you are spending your own money, you more or less don't need to get any support from elsewhere. To spend the publics money, on things other than banks and car union bailouts (don't get me started), you'd better make it pretty interesting! That's why Mars works - it's a massive challenge AND captures the publics imagination. The moon - didn't we do that 40 years ago?

There are plenty of home grown megaprojects to pursue too e.g. fusion power, how to set the earths thermostat to exactly where it was in year 2000 because that's just so perfect (sarcasm), etc..