digg

Facebook Connect Join Digg About

Why everyone suddenly wants to go to the Moon

thespacereview.com — Germany recently announced that they possibly, maybe, might launch a robotic spacecraft to the Moon. That now brings to six the number of countries with spacecraft in development to go to the Moon, or at the very least thinking about sending a spacecraft to the Moon. Just what the heck is going on?

Who dugg this? Made popular Nov 13, 2007

Digg DudeWhat is Digg?

Digg is a place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web. Digg surfaces the best stuff as submitted and voted on by the community. Take the Tour to learn more.

193 Comments

show profanity settings
expand all
  • Terr01, on 11/14/2007, -2/+55It's like how we relied on whale oil before rock oil took off, in fact...


    We're whalers of the moon,
    they carry a harpoon,
    But there aint' no whales
    So they tell tall tales
    And sing our whaling tune!
  • VaporBro, on 11/14/2007, -1/+52Because it is not a moon; it's a space station.
  • Elranzer, on 11/14/2007, -5/+43It's the Cold War all over again...

    - Tensions between the USA and Russia.
    - Israel misbehaving.
    - Oil and gasoline epidemics.
    - Irrational warmongering presidents.
    - A new "Vietnam" for this generation.
    - A sudden/brief rise in national support of conservatism.
    - Religion and nationalism used as tools to mislead the people.
    - Dick Cheney
    - Being branded as a "communist" (terrorist) if you don't automatically agree with the government.
    - The word "liberal" being used as a swear word by morons in the MSM.
    - Human rights issues (gays this time, as opposed to the blacks)
    - Secretive presidents, domestic spying.
    - War profiteering.
    - Apathetic citizens.
    - Low dollar.
    - ... and now, a space race.

    Not to mention many of the same people in charge during the first Cold War are still running the country.
  • 10scott10, on 11/13/2007, -1/+38because its cool?
  • crazybugger, on 11/14/2007, -3/+31“When a finger points to the moon, the imbecile looks at the finger”
  • Cougaboy, on 11/13/2007, -1/+27from TFA:
    Another common myth, popular among more left-leaning non-American publications, is that all these missions are part of a “lunar gold rush.”...The most commonly cited lunar resource is the isotope helium-3, which Americans supposedly want to burn in their numerous fusion reactors....It’s no secret that delusions are more satisfying than reality, but these theories are outlandish. Nobody who pushes them has bothered to check even basic facts or ask simple questions. For starters, if the United States is truly interested in helium-3 for fusion power, how come the American government is spending so little money on fusion research?
  • qwerty66, on 11/13/2007, -1/+25Germany would have been the first if it hadn't been for Hitl*r screwing things up.
    Look at the history of the US space program and it rode on the back of German technology.
  • ienjoythebeach, on 11/13/2007, -2/+26cheese
  • wonderpants, on 11/13/2007, -1/+22of course its a space race, if suddenly several countries are planning to go to he moon the global media is going to cover it as a race...
  • SilverBack101, on 11/13/2007, -0/+20Moon babes of course. Duh.
  • smellytim, on 11/14/2007, -1/+152 words: moon gold.
  • Duncast, on 11/13/2007, -1/+1410mil sounds really insignificant compared to the money that needs to be spent to get there in the first place..
  • inactive, on 11/14/2007, -1/+13Moon landing deniers are the stupidest most annoying bunch of ignorant morons I would ever like to punch in the face Buzz Aldrin style.
  • Ironzombie, on 11/13/2007, -3/+14Is it just me or has everyone forgotten that the US has already been to the moon? And don't give me that conspiracy theory crap either.
  • Terr01, on 11/14/2007, -1/+12"My people worked themselves into extinction converting our planet into a navigable space vessel!"
    "Why would you do all that?"
    "Because it's cool!"

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bam8zkzTxn4
  • rbvmusic, on 11/13/2007, -1/+12For the pie
  • qpn6ph9q, on 11/14/2007, -1/+12lol @ Helium 3 - Even if it was abundant on the Moon, which it is not, making the process of mining and extraction prohibitively expensive; the cost of getting it back here alone would be astronomically more than producing it on Earth ourselves. And in case you may not be aware, viable fusion (using any kind of isotope) is still far beyond our technical capability...
  • lilvtboix, on 11/13/2007, -3/+14"Why everyone suddenly wants to go to the Moon"

    This article does nothing to answer the title...
  • fatlip, on 11/13/2007, -0/+11i cant understand why don't all the countries just work together? we could achieve so much more that way
  • Fighter2a, on 11/14/2007, -4/+14It's to call dibs.
  • qpn6ph9q, on 11/13/2007, -0/+9I detest those of us who choose to remain ignorant of one of humanity's greatest achievements; and the efforts of the many heroes, both Russian and American, who made it possible.
  • GhostWithToast, on 11/13/2007, -2/+11"Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up"
    Why does everybody want to go to the moon?
    To prove that they can.
    I just saved you about 20 minutes.
  • spyd3rweb, on 11/13/2007, -2/+11They need something to spend tax dollars on.
  • rberger909, on 11/13/2007, -18/+27Simple...Helium-3. Google it.
  • scbysnx, on 11/14/2007, -2/+11Terrorist!
  • Pixelante, on 11/13/2007, -0/+7It's not anybody's fault that you're stupid.
  • princessToBe, on 11/14/2007, -3/+10can i be a moon babe? I promise when i get their I'll start hiring for my new HOOTERS restaurant I mean think about it big boobs in very little gravity pull
  • Everglow, on 11/14/2007, -0/+7The point is to due it inexpensively, it would appear.
  • Velnich, on 11/13/2007, -0/+7They obviously found oil up there.
  • TheEclipse, on 11/13/2007, -0/+6If it is so easy to prove that it was faked, then why didn't the Soviets raise so much as an eyebrow?
  • ThinkBox, on 11/14/2007, -0/+6You are all wrong: Its the moon babes.
  • inactive, on 11/13/2007, -1/+7put beer and boobs on the Moon and Americans will want to go
  • christoast, on 09/04/2008, -1/+7There is also something called X Prize, the prize of $10 000 000 goes to the first group to get a rover on the moon. Link: http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/
  • Hayaemsay, on 11/13/2007, -0/+6...with hookers, and blackjack!
  • qpn6ph9q, on 11/13/2007, -0/+5I'm not sure if it's a conspiracy, but I always thought it is far better for humanity have our eyes raised to the sky rather then peering along the length of a gun barrel.
  • dacheetah, on 11/13/2007, -0/+5Duh, there is a pole across the top of the flag, it's not exactly invisible either...
    I have yet to see a single piece of evidence that the moon landing was faked that has stood up to more than 10 seconds of investigation.
  • Speed, on 11/13/2007, -0/+5*Sigh* damn Digg commenting system... I only hit the button once...
  • Cyberen, on 11/13/2007, -0/+5I would like to visit the moon,
    On a rocketship high in the air,
    Yes, I'd like to visit the moon,
    but I don't think I'd like to live there.
    Though I'd like to look down at the Earth from above,
    I would miss all the places and people I love.
    So although I might like it for one afternoon,
    I don't want to live on the moon.
  • MalDON, on 11/13/2007, -0/+5I that that's what Bush was for.
  • chi1thook, on 11/13/2007, -1/+6Great idea if you want to be by yourself.
  • inactive, on 11/13/2007, -0/+5Who said they will take it back to Earth? Heading for Mars baby!:)
  • zanzzz, on 11/13/2007, -0/+5The food tastes fantastic on the Moon but the place has no atmosphere.
  • Egoist, on 11/13/2007, -0/+4No, the REAL reason is to enslave all of the little moonmen. Uncyclopedia it: http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Moon#Population
  • Scynet, on 11/13/2007, -0/+4Article summary: We go there because we've now obtained the necessary technology to do it in a feasible, cheapish way.
  • inactive, on 11/13/2007, -4/+8One of the many massive problems with human psychology: There's a race! A race to reach the moon. Cool I want to particpate. Let's spend billions and invest our resources. Yay, we made it. Hurry plant our flag first and make some footsteps. Last one back to earth is a rotten egg!

    Meanwhile on Earth -> Poverty, war, famine, hunger, disease, destruction
  • inactive, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4Dugg for yore!
  • scbysnx, on 11/14/2007, -1/+5seriously? yore?
  • qpn6ph9q, on 11/13/2007, -0/+4Very good point. There is much to be said for competition bringing out the best in us, though. Compare the lackluster collaborative effort of the ISS to the fierce competition during the sixties.
  • sfacets, on 11/13/2007, -0/+4Failed excuse #67: Someone has hidden WMDs on the Moon!
  • qpn6ph9q, on 11/13/2007, -1/+5luna tic
  • Fetching more discussions...
    Show 51 - 100 of 193 discussions

  • Add a Comment

    Login or register to comment!
    Or, sign-in super fast with your Facebook account ...


© Digg Inc. 2009 — Content created and posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain | Terms of Use Updated | Privacy Policy
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.