Value Of The Moon Considered by Paul Spudis in New Book
Planetary Geologist Dr. Paul D. Spudis At Lunar And Planetary Institute (LPI) Continues Leading Advocacy For Moon Exploration, Development; The 272-Page Illustrated Hardcover Highlights Moon Enabling Science, Commerce, Security, Human Solar System Expansion; Plan Outlines Base At Lunar Pole, In Situ Water-Ice Utilization, Regions Of Near-Continuous Sunlight, Teleoperated-Robtic Infrastructure Development Prior To Crew Missions; US$88B Cost Estimate For Human Lunar Outpost Capability
Credit: LPI, Smithsonian Books.
Commercial & Sustainable Activity On Moon Surface Could Be Advanced By Lunar Power Utility (LPU) Construction According To Authors V. Beldavs, D. Dunlap, J. Crisafulli & B. Foing Of 
Vital Studies Needed At Moon Lunar Poles To Verify Water Sufficiency For Sustainable Human Moon, Mars, Solar System Exploration; NASA-Funded Evolvable Lunar Architecture (ELA) Study Demonstrates Humans Could Return To Moon In 5-7 Years For US$10B & Establish Permanent Industrial Base Within 10-12 Years For $2.8B Per Year; Lunar Pole Robotic Survey Of Water Resources Imperative To Advance ELA In ~2020; Survey Reveals Commercial Enterprise Benefits By Supplying 200,000 Kg Of Propellant Per Year Placed Into Lunar Orbit Creating NewSpace Economies Via In Situ Resource Utilization
MIT Study Suggests Refueling On Moon Could Play Role In Sustainable Human Mars & Deep Space Missions; Takuto Ishimatsu Postdoc At MIT Notes New Mathematical Model Improving On Conventional Straight Shot Route, States “The Idea Of Taking A Detour Into The Lunar System…It’s Very Unintuitive…This Could Be Very Affordable in The Long Term”; Lunar Soil & Water Ice In Craters May Be Mined & Converted Into Fuel In-Situ; Fuel Depots At Lagrange Points Would Potentially Reduce The Launch Mass Of A Mars Mission By 68%; Resource Producing Infrastructure Is Vital To Promote Human Presence, Enterprise & Exploration
LRO Detailed Mapping With Laser Altimetry & Moon South / North Pole Region Assessment Inspires Researchers Including Andreas Velten From University Of Wisconsin-Madison Laboratory For Optical & Computational Instrumentation (LOCI); Velten Developing Technology With Ability To “See Around Corners” On Lunar Surface / In Lunar Caves With Laser Light Pulses To Allow For Water / Other Volatile Discoveries Without Excavation; LRO Will Continue Search For New Impacts & Characterize Radiation Environment, Data Release 23 Expected In September