You know what is the most convincing evidence that we went to the moon? The fact that the Soviet Union believed that we did it. With the space race in full effect, the Soviets were watching and critiquing our every move, yet they accepted that we landed on the moon. If they had thought for a moment that we hadnt, then they would have screamed bloody murder.

Maybe we will have to wait another 50-60 years or someone to put up 100 million challenge for a private funded moon landing.

I don't believe in the 'moon landings were a hoax' idea/theory.

But in any case I was under the impression that various satellites were to go back to the moon starting at the end of this year and into next. One Japanese mission (if I recall correctly) will orbit and map the entire moon in fine enough resolution to show all the landing sites etc so hopefully this will put the idea to bed once and for all.

(....ok for almost all of us.....till the hoax story gets moved on and someone insists - with a straight-face - that the hoax was so complete that even the trails and footprints were faked! )

The most plausible part of the question was (for me) always the radiation question but I think that has been satisfactorily answered in relation to the moon.

However as far as I can make out with today's tech it pretty much rules out any trip to Mars (unless the agencies and people concerned are prepared to take an extremely risky gamble heavily weighted against any success).

Unless someone knows better and would care to say so?

Originally posted by Murcielago

SminkeyPinkey
But in any case I was under the impression that various satellites were to go back to the moon starting at the end of this year and into next. One Japanese mission (if I recall correctly) will orbit and map the entire moon in fine enough resolution to show all the landing sites etc so hopefully this will put the idea to bed once and for all.

Nope, the JAXA moon mission has had several delays, it was planned to launch in 2004 but now its sometime in 2005. The Europe probe called SMART-1 will arrive at the moon in Nov/Dec 2004, It was launch in Sep 2003 but it took awhile to get there because the used an ion engine to save on costs. So hopefully we should start seeing new one-meter resolution pics within a month.

- er what do you mean "Nope"!? You just conformed everything I said.

Are your eyes and mind working ok Murcielago?

[edit on 9-10-2004 by sminkeypinkey]

sminkeypinkey
- er what do you mean "Nope"!? You just conformed everything I said.
Are your eyes and mind working ok Murcielago?

My bad, I thought you said that the Japanese moon mission was happening this year, thats why I said Nope, but you didn't.

Originally posted by Murcielago
My bad, I thought you said that the Japanese moon mission was happening this year, thats why I said Nope, but you didn't.

- No worries.