One thing many have learned during all the coverage of the 50th anniversary of the first men on the moon is what it took to do it.
And how much money it took. Some of the documentaries reveal that even President Kennedy was worried about the cost of meeting the goal he set in the early 1960s to safely land a man on the moon within a decade.
There were public opinion polls that showed many voters were worried about how much tax money it could take.So what about now?
The second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin, has been sharing his frustration with the U.S. slowing its efforts since he and Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon in 1969.
Aldrin says the U.S. should return to the moon and well beyond and develop the new technologies it will take, pointing to the many advancements there were during the race to the moon in the 60s.
There are plans to return to the moon by 2024 and to attempt a trip to Mars in the 2030’s.
But space exploration like that takes a lot of money with or without private space exploration companies involved.
Will future presidents have the vision of a President Kennedy?Will American voters be willing to support it?Will the private companies be able to do what they say they hope to do?
Based on the past, and not only in space, we know the American spirit can rise to meet great challenges.We’ve seen it ever since the founding of our country, the land of the brave.
WATCH INTERVIEW WITH BUZZ ALDRIN.
(Photo credit Getty Images)