The space race is on.

The space race is on, and the first one there is the winner. At least that is what the leaders in the U.S. and China think, and it’s probably correct.

Back in the 1960s the Soviet Union was the first into space, and there was talk that they were going to try for the moon. So America jumped into action and beat them to it, with the Apollo missions. We were first, and the Soviets never made it. But there was nothing there…. We didn’t have a clear goal of why we were going to the moon, only the goal of beating our Cold War adversaries, the Soviet Union. National morale was high, we were winners. But basically it was a hollow victory.

Now we have another race, but this time it is with China, another adversary, for global dominance. So NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) started up the ARTIMIS missions to get there first, and this time we have a clear goal. To build a moon village, inhabitate it permanently as an American colony and militarily base, for scientific research, astronomy surveillance of the cosmos, but also to spy on our enemies on Earth. National security. ( NASA handles the space problems, and the military partners with them to handle the security problems, as well as national security problems). Makes sense.

Also to test new technologies close to home so that when we perfect those technologies we will feel confident that we will be able to colonize Mars. The moon is only 4 days journey from Earth, whereas Mars is six Months journey away And if a problem occurs it is quicker to react and fix that problem on the moon than on Mars. Also makes sense.

Get there first, for National morale, but also to claim the best locations for America’s interests. And to prevent our adversaries from claiming those locations for themselves. As we say. Possession is 9/10ths of the law.

So that is the foundation of my story. It’s my opinion- what do I know? So it might not be entirely accurate, but it probably is.

The race for the best spot on the moon:

Artimis IV launch day, and it is successful. The whole country is glued to their T.V.s, and four days later the moon shuttle detaches from the capsule with 3 astronaut crew members on board. It successfully lands, and history is made, after an absence of 44 years we are back! But this time we are here to stay.

The astronauts have a lot to do, it’s not a sight seeing expedition, it’s a surveying and construction mission, and time is of the essence. Reports from the CIA and infact from all the intelligence agencies in the U.S. as well as our Allies in the U.K., Israel, Europe and Australia, tell us that China and Russia have collaborated to launch their own missions to claim their own patch of land on the moon. Their rocket hasn’t launched yet, but they are working feverishly to do so.

The first thing our crew does is send two shuttles from the capsule to the landing site, unmanned, with 3d printers on board and preset with architectural schematics to build housing for astronauts and barracks for one hundred military personal, marines, space force guardians, army Calvary, and various support personnel.

within 24 hours, another space craft orbits the moon, and makes radio contact with the astronauts on the surface. Then a manned shuttle detaches and lands at the new base. Although it was decided previously on Earth, a choreographed press release was staged and videod for viewing to the world audience of the official naming and establishment 0f the Luna base, “ Fort Trump”. Then the crew of the second shuttle unloaded equipment and started staking out the perimeter of the new base, with wire fencing and 3d printed bunkers every one mile apart. It was a large base, encompassing the entire crater the fort was in, a glacier of ice next to the fort, to secure water rights for the base. All along the wire perimeter were warning signs that the area was a miliray base and was restricted. It was just for show. Or when the Chinese and Russians tried to land in the area and make a base.

The perimeter was patrolled by drones, and artificial intelligence robots fully armed To withstand an armed attack. Sensors and cameras were installed all along the fence line. The huge Falcon rockets which were made and operated by Space X returned to Earth, then came back with more equipment and supplies, the shuttles which were built and operated by Blue Origin shuttled the supplies and crews to the fort. It was a partnership of government, military and private corporations which made this happen so quickly. Other public corporations built the lunar rovers which traveled on the surface, and explored the lunar landscape, collecting mineral samples and other things of interest, and acted as personnel carriers for the military. Still other corporations built and supplied small electric vehicles for transportation needs inside the miles of buildings which made up the village colony, all buildings connected together so that once you inside you never had to go outside to be exposed to the harsh conditions of the moons atmosphere.

The second phase was a sprawling campus of buildings for medical research, which gobbled up multiple hundreds of acres of land. Solar panels, cell towers, windmills, telescopes, radars, satellite dishes, all sorts of listening and surveillance devices were erected and aimed back towards earth. Hundreds of technicians and scientists were brought up to the moon on 6 months tour of duty assignments. At First government mess halls and kitchens were provided, but soon private enterprise emerged, and offered an alternative restaurant experience, and even hotels started to appear as a relief from government housing. Soon tourism started being offered, in special areas outside of the restricted fort and military base grounds.

All the choice locations of land were taken, including water sources. First come, first served. The Chinese and Russians did land on the moon as well as the Indians, and the Japanese and the Europeans, but their bases were not the best locations, water had to be purchased from the Americans who had control of most of the glaciers. Treaties were signed by every country, most favored treaties by our Allies, not so favored by our adversaries.

We, humanity, was here to stay. Next… Mars. After that.. who knows. But I’m sure there will be a competition to be first.