(04-06-2023, 09:32 PM)EricC85 Wrote: I just don't understand why we haven't been there in 50 years. And why is it such a big task to do with technology we have now vs 50 years ago?

The first reason is because it is hugely expensive, even for an economic powerhouse like the U.S. When the Apollo mission was being built out, it employed over 400,000 people and the cost was 5% of all government spending. Apollo not only had to build the spacecraft and the nationwide infrastructure to develop and support it, but the program also had to invent the technology to make it possible. A huge cost both financially and academically. While not as pricey today, thanks to the foundation of Apollo, it is still an expensive undertaking. 

The second reason is Mars. The primary motivation for going in the 60s was to beat the Soviets. Once we had won that race and returned hundreds of pounds of material to study, there was no viable reason to return. Now we're trying to beat the Chinese. Science and technology have progressed to the point where we can begin to earnestly consider sending people to Mars, which has been a goal for decades. The moon is the next logical step to develop long term extraplanetary survival technology and equipment. China just adds urgency to it. Not to mention the rapidly growing commercial entities which now not only compete with NASA's once held monopoly on space, but are actually outperforming them. 

This next decade is going to be a wonder for space exploration.

Space official calls for China to seize crucial opportunity to establish lunar infrastructure - SpaceNews

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