Back to the Moon to Protect the Earth

NASA geologist Paul Spudis predicts in Forbes that China will beat NASA back to the moon. He gives good reasons why there is little will in the NASA bureaucracy to return to the Moon any time soon. I play out a similar scenario in Beyond Earth where China and other nations nearly beat the U.S. back to the moon. But where Spudis urges us to go to the Moon for economic resources, I present a more compelling reason, national defense:

Back in the late 70's Gerard K. O'Neill proposed building large solar power space stations in orbit between Earth and the Moon to help supply energy for Earth. Solar power from space might not seem to pose a threat to world security, and O'Neill never meant it to be, but the potential is there. According to the plan, these stations would beam the power back to Earth at regular intervals via high-energy microwaves. The receiving microwave antennae on Earth were to be placed far from populated areas because if anyone walked near the antennae array while the microwaves were beaming down, he would be fried in his tracks.

Now place such a solar power plant on the Moon, far from the reach of a missile strike from Earth (It takes a couple of days to reach the moon by rocket). Give it a precise aiming mechanism so that it can direct the microwaves anywhere on Earth. Now you have a weapon of mass destruction that could potentially destroy a whole city or region within minutes. Imagine placing that in the hands of people who believe that the ends justifies the means. They might be willing to use it against their own people, or any nation that doesn't bow to their wishes.

So while going back to the Moon probably doesn't make much economic sense, it does make sense to seriously consider it for the defense of our nation. I hope we get there first.