I was listening to a podcast and the guy was saying that the United States aimlessly pursues goals to outperform other countries. For example, the US wants to have the biggest military. The US wants to have the largest GDP. Chasing a goal for the sake of competition does not benefit the US at all. We should work towards fulfilling our own interests but there is no point in blindly pursuing every metric. BTW the US doesn't try to outperform other countries in health care or education or any semblance of happiness.

I always thought we should have done more on the moon. we should be working out automated construction and things likespace elevators. Things to push technology forward and just use the moon as a nice safe (in the sense that if things go wrong no one gets hurt) and relatively close mass of stuff. If we can do everything we might want to do there then the technology is that much more along for the next steps.

As much as technology has improved, building a base on Mars first is still stupid based on economics. If you're going just to plant a flag, then fly once and be done. If you want a base, build manufacturing on the moon first, where the equivalent of a bottle rocket can get you to Mars.

Christ what if humans worked together 🙄

I mean, it makes sense anyway, since the moon is closer and doesn't have that difficult atmosphere.

But... sigh...

Time to get boobs on the moon.

Turning out to be a prophetic show. I just hope John Malkovich gets to be part of it all.

The USA keeps changing focus between Mars and the Moon, and the current administration let go of hundreds of NASA employees.

I wish the folks at NASA success but fear it's going to be difficult with their current management.

Although the Outer Space Treaty prohibits anyone from claiming lunar territory, whoever sets up a base can claim some sort of rights to the site and its vicinity.

I think what the Outer Space Treaty and its contemporary interpretation says is this:

• Claiming a whole celestial body (e.g. Moon, Mars) is NOT allowed
• Claiming a small territory (1 km² max) IS allowed, if you can set foot there and meaningfully utilize the land area (e.g. excavation)

Honestly, if it doesn't involve practical satelites, rockets, or somehow harvesting more raw solar energy or something, fuck the space tech and the space race. It is a fucking waste of resources built on romanticizing breaking away from Earth. It's not happening. Travel times are too long and fuel costs too high. There is nothing particularly useful on the moon. There is nothing particularly useful on Mars. And before anyone suggests the bullshit that is terraforming, how about we start with terraforming our own planet and unfucking deforestation, desert expansion, melting ice caps, etc.