"Scratching for Water on the Moon"

[hot_pastrami]

There are many valid points on both sides of the perpetually unwinnable "why explore space?" debate. I think space exploration is a good idea for the same reason all exploration is a good idea... Progress is born by discovery, and discovery is born by exploration. The more we explore, the more we progress.

That said, I think the suggested applications for manned space exploration are often misplaced. There is much that can be discovered without the risk and expense of transporting people to the site... the Mars rover is a wonderful example. This is particularly true as automated exploration machines are made more and more adaptable to the conditions they encounter... the main human trait that is invaluable in exploration is adaptability.

I think NASA is like the US Postal Service... they laid the groundwork, and they'll probably always be around, and may even be the best at some of what they do; but the market is ripe for commercial competitors who have cheaper and better ways of accomplishing some of the same things. And when space travel is commercialized, then it will be profitable, and then space will truly become the frontier rather than an over-expensive exercise in "gee whiz, that's nifty!"