>>11236686We (the U.S.) didn't go for scientific reasons, or conquest reasons, or for the adventure, we went for *political* reasons, in the height of the Cold War, to beat Russia there. It would have been a big blow to the world reputation of the U.S. if our at the time chief rival and enemy, Russia, had beat us to the Moon.
Today, we'll have to go back so countries like China don't get there before we get there *again*.
For all we know, politicians might think that a country like China would ignore the agreement that the Moon belongs to everyone, and stake a 'claim' for it. So we'll likely go back there.
Same goes for Mars. We'll probably kill ourselves getting an American to Mars first, so we (the U.S.) don't lose the prestige of being first.
