When the United States first landed on the Moon, it was a space race against the Soviet Union, but today's aspirations are in pursuit of something greater.
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and offers not only astronomical potential for observations, but commercial benefits in access to rare resources such as Helium-3 as well as minerals needed for advanced electronics. While NASA balances a limited budget, the high-cost of establishing Lunar bases has high probability of a greater returns.
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Submit questions for Astro Brief to Dr. Mike Reed at mikereed@missouristate.edu.
Astro Brief is a collaboration between KSMU, the Missouri Space Grant, and MSU's Department of Physics, Astronomy and Materials Science. Hosted by Dr. Mike Reed, Astro Brief focuses on astronomical events, the field of astronomy, and astronomy-related guests. It airs Thursdays at 9:45 am on KSMU.