[FPSPACE] What to do on the moon?

[ALLEN THOMSON]

  The subject sometimes comes up, and NASA Watch has an interesting email from Dr. Griffin to various sous-chiefs that mentions it.  The overall email, dated 23 Nov 2005, is about the recent NRC report on ISS science, but Griffin notes,
   
  http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2005/12/mike_griffins_p.html#more
   
    The next step out is the Moon. We're going to get, and
  probably already are getting, the same criticisms as for ISS.
  This is the "why go to the Moon?" theme.
   
    We've got the architecture in place and generally accepted. That's
  the "interstate highway" analogy I've made. So now, we need to
  start talking about those exit ramps I've referred to. What ARE we
  going to do on the Moon? To what end? And with whom? I have
  ideas, of course. (I ALWAYS have ideas; it's a given.) But my
  ideas don't matter. Now is the time to start working with our
  own science community and with the Internationals to define
  the program of lunar activity that makes the most sense to
  the most people. I keep saying -- because it's true -- that it's
  not the trip that matters, it's the destination, and what we do
  there. We got to get started on this.