What gives NASA the right to hurl projectiles at 1.5 miles per second into the surface of the moon? Interesting, definitely. Useful, perhaps. Reasonable? I’m not so sure. Did this mission go through some kind of ethics approval?
Maybe I’m being ridiculous thinking like this. I guess it’s all linked in to the question of who ‘owns’ (what a very western word) the moon. I seem to remember several years ago (must be at least fifteen) it was possible to buy sections of the moon. Who was ultimately selling it, and what right did they have to it? OK – so there is no sign of any intelligent life on the moon (and little indication of the possibility of any life at all) – but, even so, does the moon deserve to be treated in this way? Maybe it should be declared a heritage site and left in orbit untouched.
Anyway, whether or not there is significant water on the moon is an interesting question and I’ll be following the results of this mission as they come out. Could there possibly, possibly, be conditions on the moon that might sustain life? When P&O open up cruises to the moon, I’ll be saving for a ticket. It has got to be the ultimate holiday experience.