an opinion paper on whether or not we should return to the moon

Opinion paper on returning to the moon

Over the last three decades one of the most talked over and questioned subjects has been whether or not to return to the moon. Many people have the view of "been there, done that" when it comes to the moon, and believe that we should look ahead, not behind. However I think that returning to the moon still has many advantages to offer us.

For example, it has now been discovered that there is a possibility of water on the moon, frozen in the polar icecaps. The water is thought to have originated from comets and asteroids hitting the moon. This is a very important discovery for science as finding water on the moon means that we can find valuable information from it about the early stages of the solar system evolution that are not available on Earth. Also, since solar radiation provides a problem for astronauts living on the moon, water can be incorporated into the walls of habitats to provide an effective shield.

Full Moon view from earth In Belgium (Hamois). Fra...

The Earth seen from Apollo 17.

Original caption from NASA: "S103-E-5037 (21 Decem...

With the discovery of water on the moon Scientists also believe that substances such as xenon, halogens and ammonia may also be present in a high abundance,

With the Mars expedition just around the corner, supplies and equipment must be able to survive for two years. There hasn't ever been a space mission where astronauts and equipment have been totally cut off and out with human reach for that length of time before. Therefore it is almost impossible to determine how the mental and physical riggers of space will affect the crew and the equipment. The moon provides a close but effective way to train astronauts for long duration space flights. It is also useful because bringing back samples from Mars or any comets that may pass us...