Show of Hands

Agree 100% but luckily it won't cost nearly that much.

Was there a cost estimate put up somewhere? How much are we talking for Moon Base Alpha?

Yup says it right in the article. It was projected to cost about 100 billion. But they said it's about 10 billion.

If NASA couldn't do it, I bet a company like spaceX probably could. Also if spaceX can master their reusable rocket project I bet it'll be even cheaper.

I'd argue thought that the first moon base is an important precedent and it'd be better if an established world power was the first to settle the moon

Yeah but spaceX is an American company. If NASA helps fund it it's a victory for America. That being said I do see your point.

It's really breaks down to whoever lands on the foreign planet (not necessarily the moon) OWNS that area. Corporate government worries me. Colonization needs to be done by someone with a Constitution not a profit margin.

What can I say? I trust Elon Musk quite a bit. At the end of the day the man is a pragmatist, he'll do whatever it takes to take us further than we've ever gone. If that means giving the reigns to the government so be it. I personally don't care how

It's done as long as it gets done. However again your point is well taken, because at the end of the day we never know what might happen.

Yeah I can understand the position that any moon base is better than no moon base.

Let me get this straight, you think they will want to ship hazardous materials via rocket to the moon, just so that it's safe to work with them, just to have to ship it back to the Earth for use?

Not at all. This is talking about a base on the moon. The goods would be produced and used on site. Whether the materials would be available on the moon is unlikely but we're talking about a full time establishment.