IF and that is a giant IF at this point, the Falcon Heavy can launch this year and not fail, and then launch three times in the first six months of 2018, and they really want to do this, boot can be on the moon in 2019.
Will they hand over the money? probably not. Do they have the will and ability to play the politics? Not sure, honestly.
But MAN I want this to happen. Go someplace interesting this time, like into Tycho and Plato or some of the spots that look like they are made of "rare earth" elements. The problem is going there and to keep going there. Russia and the US are going to build a moon station so who knows.
How nuts would it be if the Republicans end up being the driving force behind the expansion of the space program? Edit* I can even think of a few ways to sell it. 1. 'Those damn Democrats just HATE the American flag! That's why all those damn football players are kneeling! Let's show them what-for by building a fucking MASSIVE moon base in the shape of a flag!' 2. 'Jesus demands that we share His message with all people, and that includes the moon-men living inside the hollow moon. We must create a missionary moon mission to evangelize to these poor people in dire need of the Good Word.'
Hella more expensive, though. About once every couple of months I debate buying some of Baz's posters because I can't believe that reality TV and space exploration ever had a love child.
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress I'm going to continue to believe that to maintain the last vestiges of my hope that we might eliminate an existential threat in my lifetime. I drank the Mars One kool aid, I'm not ashamed of it.“Anything which is physically possible can always be made financially possible; money is a bugaboo of small minds.”
