(no subject)

[theweaselking]

Ever since the dawn of the space age lunar base proponents have had a difficult time explaining exactly why a lunar base is needed and what it can do that justifies its immense cost. NASA is currently struggling with that issue right now. But in the late 1950s the United States Air Force had what its leadership believed was a clear rationale for building a base on the Moon: use the Moon to spy on the Earth and throw nuclear bombs at America’s enemies from the ultimate retaliatory high ground. Dr. Strangelove would have approved. Fortunately, saner heads prevailed.

This is not their story.

Instead, this is the story of the contractor teams that for a brief time were given a nearly impossible goal by the US Air Force: find something useful to do on the Moon, preferably involving bombs.