In a recent speech in Florida, Newt Gingrich proposed building a Moon base/colony, and was roundly mocked by critics, most especially by his chief opponent in the GOP Presidential race, Mitt Romney.
Granted, the U.S. debt crisis and the stagnant economy make proposals for any expensive projects difficult, and space exploration yields no up-front returns. But is Newt necessarily wrong to call for a permanent U.S. presence on our nearest planetary neighbor?
