I see this moon launch as an exorbitantly wasteful, nationalist project. No money for healthcare and housing, but plenty of money to boldly go where man has gone several many times before.
When I bring this up with liberal friends and family, they give me a sort of incredulous look and talk about how wonderful and scientific and non-political it is. I don’t mind being the “you’ve gone too far left” guy, but you talk to the same people about military spending and they’re right on board.
Is someone here able to diagnose my crankiness and explain why this is actually a good use of resources? (Will also accept echo-chamber validation and ways to use this to increase class consciousness, if offered.)


I hate the Artemis program but I love the Chang’e program.
Artemis is flag waving nonsense on a gratuitously expensive dead end rocket with an almost completely untested crew module gambling lives on Senate graft and techbro nonsense, with no long term plan.
Chang’e (and the upcoming International Lunar Research Station) are careful, well planned steps towards long term research and habitation on the moon, in cooperation with the global South.
Their astronomy research vs our spaceslop grift