Bang, zoom, straight to the moon!

It's been over 35 years since a person landed on the Moon. The Apollo project made half a dozen manned moon landings back before I was even a fetus. Here we are in the year 2008 and not only do I have to deal with the fact that there are no flying cars, no cures for cancer or AIDS, and no robotic servants (except my beloved, but single-purposed Roomba), but also now the news is telling me that NASA's project to land a man on the Moon again by 2013 is running behind. NASA says it may take until 2015, and other analysts say it won't happen until at least 2020.

In 2004 President Bush declared we would return to the Moon and even establish a permanent base there. Four years later, we have no progress and NASA's saying it won't happen for at least another 7 years maybe if even then. Compare this to Kennedy saying in 1961 that we would land on the moon, and by 1969 we did. All I can say is: Bush, you're no Jack Kennedy. How come over 40 years ago we could accomplish in 8 years that which today we cannot accomplish in 11? With all the advances in technology it seems like we know less about space travel technology than we did then. Bring some scientists from the past to today and they could land someone on the moon immediately using knowledge they already posses and using technology that would look like an abacus next to a Playstation 3.

Some would say that the answer is that we have never landed on the Moon. I would say that those people a loony. Others would say it was because there was a space race back then and now there is no pressure. To them, I would answer that other nations have similar plans to land on the moon and create permanent moon bases just like the US and these include nations such as China, India, and Russia, the latter of which plans to have cosmonauts on the Moon by 2025 and establish a permanent manned base there in 2027-2032. If we fall any further behind, the Commies will win Space Race 2! *gasp*

So what exactly are the setbacks in NASA's lunar plans? Well, first off there are technical glitches such as an excessively shaky launch and a difficult to open hatch door which remind some of the Apollo 1 launch pad fire. Second, a single motor went over budget by $80 million. And third, the plan includes launching without enough water for the astronauts. So, let me get this straight, they will be launching late, over budget, with dehydrated astronauts, who if they don't burn to death on the launch pad won't even be able to get out the door if they ever do land on the Moon. We have come a long way in these last 4 decades, have we not?

At least Google is coming to save the day. If anyone can sort this out the big G can. They are offering the Google Lunar X Prize: $20 million to the first privately funded team to successfully land a robot on the Moon. Too bad that's only a robot. And too bad that it would probably cost someone more than $20 million to enact that plan. But I'm sure it won't be long before we see Google AdWords when we look up at the Moon.