Quote:
Originally Posted by Kaneman
With all the computer/rocket technology we have gained in the past 50 years shouldn't it be incredibly easy to land on the moon at this point?
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It isn't incredibly easy (or inexpensive) to do anything in space.
Theoretically going to the moon is a lot easier today, but designing and building the required hardware while removing human error is still extremely difficult. Sending a shuttle in to orbit and returning it should be easier than sending people to the moon, but we have lost more lives doing the easy thing. Sending unmanned probes to other planets in the solar system should be easier than sending people to the moon, but look at how many attempts at that have unsuccessful.
I also mentioned cost. With all the technology we currently have it still costs around $10,000 per pound to put things in to geosynchronous orbit. Going to the moon increases those costs exponentially.
While I think it would be cool as hell if we put men on the moon again, I have to agree with Homeslice. I'm not sure what the value would be to repeat what we were able to accomplish 40 years ago.