LogFAQs > #943489705

Our border is no more secure than it was a decade ago. What possible use is there in having a moonbase? Space combat isn't exciting like in tv. Everything goes in straight lines and you can't reasonably evade anything and you have unlimited sight with zero cover. It's a case of strike first and win instantly or lose instantly. It is for sure not something we need to waste money on right now when theres big ass problems that need a ton of money right now like covid.

I'm also inclined to think banning tik tok is fine but pointless. It's not hard to just replace it with a new app.

I was going to take this seriously, then I realized you had no clue how important a moonbase actually could be. So let me explain this in completely non-political terms.

A moon base is EXTREMELY important!

There are multiple reasons but the big one being that establishing an off-world, permanent, settlement is a major step towards being able to expand out into the rest of the system. The sheer amount of scientific data alone would be worth-while but that aside a moon base would be an invaluable stepping stone and the lower gravity would make it much easier to do things like launch missions from the moon than it would from somewhere like Mars or Venus. It's very possible that, in the future, we will be exporting space launches to the moon and the launches from Earth will, more or less, just be missions with the intention of getting to the moon. Even if colonizing somewhere like Mars is not viable yet having a moon base means we can start to practice and experiment and improve our colonization habits and technology so that, when we can finally reach Mars with a colonizing force, we can actually colonize it.

Additionally things like asteroid mining are extremely, exceptionally, desirable and valuable. Drastically reduced pollution, you can pick asteroids with valuable minerals on them, and in much higher quantities than found on Earth. A moon base is a huge step towards this since it can serve as a scouting, processing, and even potentially the main mining facility itself.

Likewise, a space force doesn't 'need to be like the movies'. The fact is that space is going to be the next battlefield. Right now it mainly involves both protecting your own satellites and destroying your opponents, but the U.S. is actually BEHIND China and Russia in these capabilities because it's only focused on scientific endevours with space. If you think it's going to be astronauts jetting around in giant gundams or space marines in power suits fighting on the moon, that's simply not the case. However you need to create the force in order for it to start to figure things out like 'how do we protect our satellites' or 'how to we destroy our opponents' or 'protect our bases, once we have them, out in the cosmos?'

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I am the gentle hand who heals, the happy smile who shields, and the foot that will kick your ***! - White Mage