I see this moon launch as an exorbitantly wasteful, nationalist project. No money for healthcare and housing, but plenty of money to boldly go where man has gone several many times before.
When I bring this up with liberal friends and family, they give me a sort of incredulous look and talk about how wonderful and scientific and non-political it is. I don’t mind being the “you’ve gone too far left” guy, but you talk to the same people about military spending and they’re right on board.
Is someone here able to diagnose my crankiness and explain why this is actually a good use of resources? (Will also accept echo-chamber validation and ways to use this to increase class consciousness, if offered.)
Nah, they’re stunting on Musk, and we can afford a modest steady effort to increase long term space capabilites without sacrificing socialist programs on Earth. The Soviets understood this, as does China now.
There is a decent argument to be made for that increase in capabilities. If we can get enough stuff up there to begin Orbital and Lunar manufacture, a lot of possibilities for energy generation and resource use open up. That will ultimately help people on earth, and eventually people off earth too.
“There will be apple blossoms on Mars” as the old Soviet Cosmonaut song said.