They're right...
I agree with Aldrin & Collins, have for many years.
The moon may be useful for things like farside astronomy, but for real colonisation posibilities it should be bypassed altogether. The nearest possible place for a permanent colony - i.e. a place where people will live and breed - is Mars. For minerals etc - hit the asteroids, short period comets, etc. They have all that the moon can give, without the inconvenience of a gravity well to deal with.
The plans for a permanent Mars mission have already been drawn up by people like Zubrin with the 'Mars Direct' plan. And as for the psychological effects of a long voyage, surely fifty years of observing 'wintering over' staff in Antarctica and long duration nuclear sub crews should have given the psychs all they really need.
All that is needed is the will.... and the approval of amanfromMars
Biting the hand that feeds IT
