Will we ever have a base on the Moon?

CH (MAJ) William Beaver I would totally be for this. Do we know for a fact that none of the minerals on the moon could be harvested for alternative fuels? I think a base on the moon could have helped scientist understand more about its's origin and composition (first hand observation). I just like space travel and thought of such things. I think we gave up too soon on colonizing the moon and establishing life type operations. Just my two cents.

i bet we have one on Mars or some other planet before our own moon

Actually, a base on the moom could be really useful for our exploration of the rest of our solar system and beyond, because thanks to its low gravity, it would be an ideal environment for the construction and testing of the larger vehicles and systems that would be needed for those much longer voyages. It would be infinitely cheaper to build a craft on the moon, in near-zero G, than it would be to build it at JPL and launch it into orbit. The problem of finding a sufficient source of O2 is one that is similar to the problem of traditional physics viewing the speed of light (c) as a physically unreachable speed. Both of them appear to be insurmountable propblems from the viewpoint of current science and technology. But one more breakthrough may be all we need to put both solutions in east reach. Or two. Or three. Or four hundred. We won't know until we get there, and then we'll look back and exclaim how stupid we were for not seeing it long ago.

The UFO series was based 10 years prior to Space 1999 - as a covert operation

I think a moon based telescope is a great idea. Mining for sure. As was mentioned, Gravity is significantly better than the ISS, so we will be able to habitate it longer. I believe our goal should be to start building a ship that will host many generations and find a habitable planet in another star system.

I think we will. We have all of the tech to create a sustainable base there, but we need to sort out gravitation issues first. Moon gravity may still be way too low to support human life long-term.

As soon as I saw the photo, and before I read your entry, I recognized that immediately as Moon Base Alpha from Space: 1999. I loved that show as a kid! Anyway, with the direction NASA has been going with budget cuts, mission changes, etc., I really do not see this happening in my lifetime, t least not by NASA. We also have the people who would rather see the money that would be spent for this used elsewhere, most likely for social programs. The only way we would likely see this would be if it was done by a foreign government, or private corporation. The private corporation option would not surprise me at all with the way so many things in government are being contracted out.

Yes. Its primary purpose initially will be scientific experimentation (just like the ISS) and telescopes without much atmosphere. Eventually I expect it to grow into tourism and mining. Long term we probably wont go much past the moon in biological form.