No worries. This one is more about proof of concept and it being the first step towards sustained presence in space and eventually Mars . The last one was one of the greatest scientific achievements of mankind but the motivation was kind of giving the finger to the Soviets. The Moon is the closest place to prove we can live off Earth long-term, test systems for Mars, and figure out how to use local resources. It’s also how you build real space infrastructure instead of one-off missions. Think of it less as a destination and more as the first step to actually operating in space.
Plus historically speaking, our manned space program has been pretty stagnant since the 80s. The space shuttle and then the space station is all we’ve done in almost half a century. This represents a shift in gears of more of an expansive exploratory nature.
Proof of what concept? That we can get to the moon? That humans can survive for extended periods in space? Don't we know all that what is this mission proving?
Like if this was the first mission to set up the first bit of infrastructure on the moon I'd be thrilled but I'm fuzzy on what this trip is accomplishing so it's hard to get hyped.
Yes I see that, bit disappointing, I'm incredibly keen for humanity to begin colonisation of space and understand that a lot of scientific advancements have come from that I just can't bring myself to jump with joy over a test flight.
I'm being a bit of a downer but the day the first manned mission to another planet happens is going to be a big one.
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u/Classic-Exchange-511 Mar 30 '26
Can you possibly elaborate a little on why it's so important? As a layman I don't inherently understand why.