Only Lunar Telescopes Can Answer the Mysteries of the Universe
An Anonymous Coward writes:
Humans haven't set foot on the Moon since Apollo 17 brought Eugene Cernan to the surface on 12 December 1972. Now it's time to return. Reaching the Moon again is practical. It is an essential first step to exploration of the distant Universe. And it is inevitable. Only from the lunar surface can we mount the ultimate search for our origins. We'll achieve this by constructing novel telescopes of unprecedented scope in dark lunar craters and on the far side of the Moon.
[...] The Moon will initially be a playground for the super-rich. Their appetite for new forms of tourism seems insatiable. However, access is certain to change over time once low-cost space transport systems are developed. We would establish giant lunar parks for leisure and relaxation. Low-cost housing would be designed to host the necessary support personnel. Mass tourism will have its day. Commercial backing will certainly fund these activities.
[...] Giant telescopes can be constructed in dark lunar craters near the lunar poles, where the Sun never rises. There's no atmosphere to limit our view. Stars don't twinkle, they shine as brilliant points of light. Such clarity is crucial if we are to search for distant planetary systems. There are sites with unlimited solar power on the tall crater rims to power our instruments. Here the Sun never sets. Yet there is extreme cold in the deep crater basins that remain in permanent shadow.
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