Why haven't we sent any more robotic rovers to the moon?

[DavidSmafield]

How come we haven't sent any more robotic rovers to the moon? It's not like we don't have the technology we've sent rovers to mars. Does NASA just not find the place that interesting? I mean if we're not sending people there any time soon can't we at least explore the place with robots? I think that sending a robotic rover to detect ice would yield better results than that LCROSS bomb the moon mission did. Not to mention exploring all of the lava tube cave things up there.

 

[emudude]

I know the proximity of the moon makes it seem like a much more accessible target, but that's not the reality. The amount of fuel to get to the moon and mars isn't as different as you might think. The only difference is the time it takes to get to each destination, even at similar fuel costs.

 

[MeteorWayne]

2013 Lander-rover mission

 

[DarkenedOne]

How come we haven't sent any more robotic rovers to the moon? It's not like we don't have the technology we've sent rovers to mars. Does NASA just not find the place that interesting? I mean if we're not sending people there any time soon can't we at least explore the place with robots? I think that sending a robotic rover to detect ice would yield better results than that LCROSS bomb the moon mission did. Not to mention exploring all of the lava tube cave things up there.

My guess is that NASA is not interested in the Moon at the moment because it is not a candidate for life as we know it. Hopefully that will change now that we have found significant reserves of water there.

 

[neutrino78x]

There is a Google Lunar X Prize.

--Brian