Valuable Mineral Reserves Discovered on the Moon - Effects on the Cold War

Let's say the Moon has a different composition which beckons at the expansionist desires of both Cold War superpowers. These rocks are not visible by the naked eye or telescopes and are only discovered following modern breakthroughs in radio astronomy. Is there a Cold War race for moon rocks?
 
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Let's say the Moon has a different composition which beckons at the expansionist desires of both Cold War superpowers. These rocks are not visible by the naked eye or telescopes and are only discovered following modern breakthroughs in radioastronomy. Is there a Cold War race for moon rocks?
No, cost is going to be too much for economically feasible extraction for a long time. It cost NASA about $1.4 million an ounce in 1973 dollars to bring back moonrocks, or about $7.9 million an ounce today. The most valuable mineral that isn't a gemstone (whose value is determinate on rarity) or artificial, is currently Rhodium, which is ~$1400 an ounce, so you would have to bring the cost of travel to the moon and back down by 5600 fold to break even, not factoring mining and processing

Not feasible until well after the cold war is over
 
You would need a scenario with a far more intense Cold War. One that would look at space as a priority area for military development.

Research probes evolving into earth observation and elint gathering satellites and later weather, communications and navigation models would be developed early. Manned reconnaissance missions would also take place. Then you get into countermeasures when the Cold War rivals see how usefule these all are. Initially ground based then space based asats get sent. Manned recon capsules acquire defensive weapons which lead to offensive strike packages also being added for anti-asat missions (not to mention surface attack).

Meanwhile ICBM development is accelerated as a result of the intense rocket development supporting the space race. Someone is going to suggest a Star Wars esque missile defense shield and a space based component is natural so sattelite defenses are pushed which in turn requires ability to protect so more anti asat assets are needed. And if the defenses become marginally effective new ways of delivering armageedon will be on the agenda so why not orbital platforms (and assotiated defenses)

With all the above, manned stations are eventually going to have to be considered for management, deployment and maintanance of the network. These will monitor and control the unmanned systems, serve as bases for manned and have the necessary workshops and fabrication facilities to carry out routine and emergency repairs on the network.

By this time outposts on the moon would also be in the works and then the moon's resources come into play as a valuable supplement to supporting the built up infrastructure. Sourcing the materials from there probably becomes if not cheaper the certainly comprable then getting them up from Earth's gravity well.

Only question now is if the Cold War populations are willing to support the 95 percent tax rate.
 
Perhaps something more valuable then rocks. Say one of the Apollo missions discovers a large alien city on the moon, still powered and relatively intact, one hidden from earth-based observation via some manner of exotic technology. Admittedly that is kind of crossing over into ASB land.
 
Perhaps something more valuable then rocks. Say one of the Apollo missions discovers a large alien city on the moon, still powered and relatively intact, one hidden from earth-based observation via some manner of exotic technology. Admittedly that is kind of crossing over into ASB land.
Yeah that is about what it would take, but as said ASB. Alien Tech, you would probably be willing to pay more that $1.4 million an ounce in 1973 to get it (or ensure the other guy does not), and bringing it down one or even two OOMs may be possible
 
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