A Tordesillas Lunar Eclipse
Many believe that for humanity to survive the current ecocides, genocides, and so on, people must leave the earth and head for other habitable planets.
The logical way to begin the exodus is to set up a launch site on the moon.
Why the moon? Well, consider the results from LCROSS, LRO, the Centaur lunar impact, LAMP (Lyman Alpha Mapping Project), and similar data. There are some pretty strong indications in this data that the moon contains carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, methane, formaldehyde, ethylene, ammonia, mercury, silver, apparent ongoing chemistry in the crater, and lots (lots!) of water.
If correct, this data means that even despite extraction difficulties for water largely self-supporting lunar bases may be viable.
This is important because the reaction mass which must be overcome to lift capsules from the earth or near earth orbit are much less when launched from the moon. And of course the gravity well surrounding the earth pulls less strongly with distance. Translation: easier and less expensive. The moon appears to possess raw materials necessary to manufacture rocket fuel, water for human survival, and ample sunlight for conversion to energy. Launching from the moon makes planetary exploration far more practical.
So what countries are likely to set up lunar bases and launch sites? Not the United States or Britain. In the former case the United States has turned its attention to complete militarization of near earth orbit, attempting to beat all others in reaching the Kessler Syndrome number, seizing control of all La Grange points for U.S. Space Command and Joint Functional Component Command for Space and Global Strike use, and similar fun activities. This is where the bulk of taxpayer monies for U.S. space efforts are going as the national debt passes $12,000,000,000,000. In the case of Britain, well... that society is similarly in debt. Space exploration is not for them either. Just activities similar to those of the United States:
"Space superiority is not our birthright, but it is our destiny. Space superiority is our day-to-day mission. Space supremacy is our vision for the future... Simply put, it’s the American way of fighting ... freedom to attack as well as freedom from attack in space." US General Lance Lord, speaking at an Air Force Conference
“Space: A medium like the land, sea, and air within which military activities shall be conducted to achieve US national security objectives." — excerpt from the Department of Defence definitions of terms
While these space militarization activities are well funded by the taxpayer, almost everything else regarding space has been relocated to the private sector. Perhaps those good folks are unfamiliar with the fact that they have already passed the Tordesillas moment in regards to space. Certainly the private sector is not going anywhere beyond occassional near-earth orbit for the forseeable future. So for the U.S. and Britain (and their allies) the moon and what it represents for humanity appears to have been written right out of the picture.
But other countries have taken up the slack, notably India and China. Both of these countries have lunar missions planned, including manned landings. Both of these countries have viable space programs and have put their own people into orbit and safely returned them in their own country’s vehicles. But far more importantly these two countries have the skill set necessary to accomplish their goals. In many areas their scientific output exceeds that of western countries in both quality and quantity.
So I would suggest that exploring the solar system from the Indian and Chinese moon bases is the likely future of space exploration. And of most scientific progress for that matter.
Unless humanity destroys itself first, of course.
, LAMP (Lyman Alpha Mapping Project), and similar data. There are some pretty strong indications in this data that the moon contains carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, methane, formaldehyde, ethylene, ammonia, mercury, silver, apparent ongoing chemistry in the crater, and lots (lots!) of water.