soviets win moon race

[Straha]

Russians get to moon first, c. 1967. What does this do? I think it Keeps us in the race long enough for Moon base #1, L-5's and SPS. Expect to see commericalization of space to happen with orbital hotels and lunar mining at lest being planned now.

[LDoc]

The problem with a expansion into space is that we haven't found a reason to. The moon has no real valuable natural resources to justify the large overhead. While the proccess of getting into space and the training required along witht he cost would mean any space hotel would be a waste of money. And then you have the threat of long term living in space with those people livving on the moon and being employed int he "space hotel". It just doesn't seem very likely or smart for a corperation to spend all the money required to make this work.

[Straha]

once profitable minerals are found on the moon expansion _will_ happen without a doubt

[Faeelin]

You could find diamonds on the moon's surface and still lose money transporting the.m

[NapoleonXIV]

I'm in agreement with everyone here. We had no reason for the Space Race but national pride and if we had lost to the Russians national pride would have built a moonbase just like it got us there. Hopefully, we'd lose there too and maybe be on Mars by now.

In certain cases government has a legitimate purpose in building infrastructure for which there is little use foreseeable. How much have we saved due to improved hurricane forecasts, the warnings of El NIno, GPS, satellite communications etc etc. (Not to mention computers as a spinoff) Even Arthur C. Clarke didn't foresee even half of these. How much more might be derived from permanent research on other planets.

[Straha]

and where would be be fi we got beaten to mars??

[Tyr]

US would have to try and be first to Mars.

I'm a big supporter of the space race, its the only chance of a future we have.

[aktarian]

I'm a big supporter of the space race, its the only chance of a future we have.

The other option is space team effort. ;)