Would we ever go back to the moon surface in a official capacity?

[Cloakedwand72]

Would we ever get back to the moon surface with a manned sorties again sooner rather than later? With NASA/SPACEX/ULA/Blue origin rockets & the lockhead moon lander?

[Bill Phil]

Only if someone pays for it. No bucks no buck rogers.

[cubinator]

I think people will start to go back to the moon within 10 years. If I have anything to say about it, we won't stop for a million years.

[Spaceception]

It's inevitable. But yes, probably in the next few decades or less, I can see us really getting back out there. And if we haven't by the 2100's, that's probably not good.

[Gargamel]

How would one unofficially visit the moon? 

[NSEP]

Yes, there are like 4 space agency's and companies all trying to reach the Moon's surface with a man on board, or at least  are working on spacecraft capable of doing it. (SpaceX, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin and CNSA), and im expecting more nations and companies to join the fun later on. But i can't just see 4 lunar enterprises suddenly failing.

I'd say we will have our boots grey again in 20s or 30s. Probably somewhere around 2026 or something.

[Nightside]

On 10/20/2018 at 1:14 PM, Gargamel said:

How would one unofficially visit the moon? 

Don't buy a ticket and just jump over the turnstile.

[Ultimate Steve]

On 10/20/2018 at 3:14 PM, Gargamel said:

How would one unofficially visit the moon? 

*dramatic spy movie music*

[53miner53]

It looks like it’s less of a question of if, and more a question of when, who, and how many mission will each group make. 

[YNM]

On 10/21/2018 at 3:14 AM, Gargamel said:

How would one unofficially visit the moon? 

Late-night launches from the depths of China's interior. Only broadcasted tomorrow after the launch.

 

Though more on OP's question, I'd say it's a matter of will. Of which currently none of the sides that matters have.

[Ultimate Steve]

On 10/20/2018 at 3:14 PM, Gargamel said:

How would one unofficially visit the moon? 

Wait... If there are hyper-advanced aliens out there they could mess with us by teleporting all of us to the Moon for an impossibly small fraction of a second and we would never know...

[Superfluous J]

On 10/20/2018 at 4:14 PM, Gargamel said:

How would one unofficially visit the moon? 

4 hours ago, Ultimate Steve said:

*dramatic spy movie music*

*Austin Powers II music*

[Shpaget]

5 hours ago, Nightside said:

Don't buy a ticket and just jump over the turnstile.

When we have turnstiles on the path to board a moonbound spacecraft, we'll know we're doing something right. Huge milestone.

[YNM]

1 hour ago, 5thHorseman said:

*Austin Powers II music*

 

[ValleyTwo]

Depending on how quickly we develop fusion reactors for wide spread use a lot of nations are already eyeing the Moon for its Helium-3 and other minerals.  China and Russia have both talked about mining the Moon while other nations, such as the UK, have been eyeing Jupiter's atmosphere.  Once it becomes profitable and everybody starts seeing dollar signs on the Moon we'll be back.  And we're bring tourists and blackjack and hookers and taxes.  

[Bill Phil]

10 minutes ago, ValleyTwo said:

Depending on how quickly we develop fusion reactors for wide spread use a lot of nations are already eyeing the Moon for its Helium-3 and other minerals.  China and Russia have both talked about mining the Moon while other nations, such as the UK, have been eyeing Jupiter's atmosphere.  Once it becomes profitable and everybody starts seeing dollar signs on the Moon we'll be back.  And we're bring tourists and blackjack and hookers and taxes.  

That makes no sense though.

For one thing, Helium-3 isn't necessary at all. D-T fusion is much easier to get going and tritium can be bred with the neutrons from the reaction. And since fusion is likely to be more of an electricity production technology than anything else, heavy shielding isn't a showstopper. And even He-3 fusion can still give off radiation.

For another, He-3 is in the parts per billion on the Lunar surface. So to get 1 kg of it, you need to process hundreds of millions (if nt billions) of kilograms of regolith. Deuterium is available on Earth in significant quantities, and again Tritium can be bred. And the advantages of He-3 aren't really worth it.

Any giant planet would be problematic to say the least for getting any He-3. 

[cubinator]

I want to go to the Moon because going to the Moon is cool, and that reason alone justifies it for the five million years we've been wondering what the darn thing was, just as well as it justifies any other activity done by a human.

[kerbiloid]

If irradiate old Li-ion batteries with neutrons, some Li will become T.

Don't throw out the depleted batteries, take care about the future energetics.