If we actually did go to the moon, then why for over 30 years...

Originally posted by NotTooHappy
We went back, 6 more times with 5 other Actual moon landings. (Apollo 11-17, Apollo 13 didn't land)

one arguement for never landing on the moon is that only half way there astronauts would be exposed to deadly amounts of radiation. this would mean no one ever landed on the moon. if so why would apollo 13 fail, how do you fail a mission if you are supposedly faking it anyways?

why such a shift in the american space strategy?

First of all, moon is not as interesting scientifically speaking than other planets such as Mars... The moon is a dead rock, no inner activity... Ok, we could use its Helium-3 but first we have to discover ways to extract it properly and what's the point of getting to the Moon if we don't have those technologies?

The US has always wanted to have great projects to flatter its ego and boost the american aerospace industry. Nixon launched the shuttle project in the 70s ( the most complex space system ever built, but an awful waste of money : the russian soyuz system is far cheaper and more reliable and secure) and Bush launched this new exploration project.
Even if that sounds interesting, make no mistakes, it's a political move

i hope we land on mars during my lifetime, i'm 18 so the odds are good. might be able to feel the same as people did when we first landed on the moon. to think that far away people are doing that, it's astonishing. i coudn't even begin to think what it would be like to set foot on a planet like mars, i wouldn't want to be 2nd though :p

ESA and NASA both plan an manned mission to Mars between 2030 and 2035.

Here's the reason we, or anyone else doesn't go back to the moon...

Why?

There's nothing there. There's dust and rocks. We have samples of everything that exists on the moon from the previous TWO visits to the moon. Yes, we went there twice.

Besides, once it was done by us, there wasn't really any good reason for anyone to incur the expense of going there themselves. In all, we just did everyone considered humanity a favor. In the future, the moon might serve as a waystation. A shipyard at best.

Originally posted by DeltaChaos
Here's the reason we, or anyone else doesn't go back to the moon...

Why?

There's nothing there. There's dust and rocks. We have samples of everything that exists on the moon from the previous TWO visits to the moon. Yes, we went there twice.

Twice?

We landed on the moon six times, with manned craft, and returned samples with each mission -- the most important samples being from Apollo 17 when the one and only scientist, Jack Schmitt, a geologist in the Apollo program went (he was originally slated for Apollo 18 but when the Apollo program was cancelled he was bumped up to Apollo 17 after a huge outcry from the scientific community including staff at NASA):

Apollo 11 - 20 July 1969 UT 20:17:40 (04:17:40 p.m. EDT)
Apollo 12 - 19 November 1969 UT 06:54:35 (01:54:35 a.m. EST)
Apollo 14 - 5 February 1971 UT 09:18:11 (04:18:11 a.m. EST)
Apollo 15 - 30 July 1971 UT 22:16:29 (06:16:29 p.m. EDT) first lunar rover mission
Apollo 16 - 21 April 1972 UT 02:23:35 (20 April 09:23:35 p.m. EST)
Apollo 17 - 11 December 1972 UT 19:54:57 (02:54:57 p.m. EST)

We've also landed (all space programs) over 20 unmanned missions on the moon, including 2 successful sample returns by the Soviets using unmanned probes (Luna 20 and Luna 24) in the 70s.