Race to the Moon, Again.

No lofty statements by presidents or leaders of nations this time, but the race is on for the moon, again. From 1961 to 1969 the USSR and the United States were locked in a history-making race to land the first person on the moon. Now Russia and and India have agreed "to launch a joint unmanned mission to the moon." Earlier this year, "Russia held a massive military exercise at the North Pole area, which was followed by another military drill by Canada, which aimed at asserting its sovereignty in the north" for one purpose -- natural resources. Now Denmark and Norway have joined the race to claim ownership.

The region at the top of the world is the subject of overlapping land claims. But these matters fall under the jurisdiction of the United Nation's Law of the Sea Convention which most nations, except the United States, have signed. The Law sets out property rights, offshore rights and a dispute settlement mechanism.
Conflicting claims are a given since every country is entitled to a 200-mile offshore ownership limit or more if its continental shelf reaches further. The five claimants bordering the ocean are: Russia; Alaska; Canada; Denmark/Greenland and Norway. Others making claims, which also have land or 200-mile extensions within the Arctic Circle, are Sweden, Iceland and Finland. (Financial Post)

After "we saw footprints on the moon, back in 1969 when something like a moon landing could still get an 80 share (what were the other 20 percent watching?), why did we settle for footprints only? Why didn't the United States claim, settle, and develop the moon??? Those natural resources may be looking very desirable in the near future.

How beautiful was the challenge and the response to that challenge:

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project...will be more exciting, or more impressive to mankind, or more important...and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish...." -- President John F. Kennedy, 1961

When man walked on the moon there was talk everywhere of terraforming, or making the moon habitable for human life. What happened to plans to build green houses, dwellings for people and animals? What happened? We are now told that NASA has plans to return humans to the moon by 2020, to "leap into lunar surface exploration", with "extended missions lasting up to six months, and ... Habitation Systems, "building outposts and paving the way for eventual journeys to Mars and beyond."

Researchers at Johnson Space Center (JSC) are currently developing several Earth-based mock-ups to test various types of lunar habitation systems. The Sortie and Outpost are two distinct types of habitats that each serve a significant purpose.

The Lunar Sortie

The Lunar Outpost:

Back to Russia and India:

Russia's space agency Roskosmos said it had signed an agreement with the Indian space agency for joint lunar exploration through 2017, including the construction of a module that will orbit the moon "for peaceful purposes."

"Russia and India will jointly build a space ship. Under the project we plan to send an entire laboratory to the moon," Roskosmos head Anatoly Perminov said in a statement.

During the talks the Russian and Indian leaders also "paid particular attention to cooperation in nuclear energy and in military-technical cooperation," Putin said. (continue reading, via) via Drudge

Are we going to let Russia and India win this race? I say no way. The race is on!

Also see:
THE ARTEMIS PROJECT - PRIVATE ENTERPRISE ON THE MOON
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Invited to the race and Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson's Website, third world county, Pirate's Cove, Stuck On Stupid, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, Big Dog's Weblog, The Bullwinkle Blog, CORSARI D'ITALIA, Right Voices, Public Domain Clip Art, The Yankee Sailor, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Comments

[Debbie]

Yes, "been there, done that", but what if we had KEPT the program going full force. Think what we could have accomplished by 2007? We COULD be close to Mars by now.

[PALADIN]

HMMM?? THE RUSSIANS AND INDIA HUH?. SEEMS THE CHINESE STARTED A NEW SPACE RACE WHEN THEY ANNOUNCED THE SAME INTENTIONS IN 04? FACT IS THE U.S. HAS BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT. BUT THAT IS NO REASON TO REST ON THE LAURELS. I WISH THE U.S.A. WOULD ANNOUNCE A NEW SPACE PROGRAM TO GO TO THE MOON AND SET UP A PERMANENT STATION THERE. THE CHINESE IF THEY GET THERE FIRST WILL NO DOUBT MAKE IT A PERMANENT LANDING ZONE. AND IT WON,T BE FOR PEACEFUL RESEARCH EITHER. JUST A WORD ABOUT THE FIRST MISSION TO THE MOON IN 69. I WAS 7 YRS OLD WHEN IT TOOK PLACE. I CAN REMEMBER ME AND MY SISTER SITTING ON THE FRONT STEPS OF MY PARENTS FARMHOUSE IN SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN ON A FULL MOON NIGHT THE DAY THE LANDING TOOK PLACE. WE WERE TRYING TO SEE IF WE COULD SEE THE APOLLO SPACECRAFT!!!LOL!!!!!!! MY PARENTS TOLD US THERE WAS NO WAY WE,D BE ABLE TO SEE IT, BUT WE HAD TO FIND OUT FOR OURSELVES LOL!!!!!! THOSE WERE THE DAYS WHEN EVERYBODY HAD BIG DREAMS. AND NOTHING WAS TOO BIG AN OBSTACLE. I WISH WE COULD RETURN TO EM.

[A.C. McCloud]

Some say the moon race is all about the mystery element Helium-3 (which sounds like a joke) but it's definitely not about altruism or science or the good of all mankind. Of course, if we win this race people will hate us.

[gregdn]

Been there, done that.
Let's go to Mars!