That was a nice article, although they are missing the comment section

I think going to the moon first makes more sense for one reason: failer.

If we went to Mars, and for some strange reason the colonists encountered a serious problem, (such as a rock be thrown at them from a twister, to allergic reaction to red soil) then any rescue attempt on to the world would take months and the public may not be too happy about using their tax dollars on a second mission.

The moon however would be easier to respond to in a crisis, and although public support may drop at another lunar mission, we could easily justify it business wise.

Posted by Darnell Clayton on September 20th, 2006 at 7:41 am