Rocket launch marks big step in building China’s lunar infrastructure

Queqiao-2 will relay data between Earth and Chinese spacecraft on the far side of the Moon.

See full article...

 

[Imbrium]

Talk of a lunar colony sounds so scifi, and futuristic, but it is highly unlikely to happen in our lifetimes. Historically, colonies were set up someplace for economic reasons, with the colonies supplying raw materials, sending them to the mother country for processing into finished goods, and then sold back to the colonies. Economics was their primary, secondary and tertiary reason to exist. That is not going to happen with the Moon for the foreseeable future. There is nothing on the Moon that would justify the expense of collecting it and shipping it back to Earth.

A lunar outpost is probably the more accurate description of what we will see. Similar to bases in Antarctica, they will be established for scientific research, and may not even be continuously occupied. As such, I don't think there will be a need for weekly trips to the Moon. Like the ISS, there will be resupply missions, maybe once every month or two, depending on the size of the crew and outpost, and crew rotation flights.

 

[Imbrium]

Again, the historical context for the establishment of colonies was always economic. Why did those European nations establish forts to claim territory? Because of the resources those territories held, whether something as mundane as timber, or of greater value, such as gold and furs. If there wasn't anything of value there, they wouldn't have invested the resources to claim and develop them. There are plenty of places on Earth that none of the colonizing powers tried to claim and develop, because they were economically worthless. Today, if your thesis is correct, Antarctica should be overrun with military bases, and hordes of tourists descending upon it. There are a lot of scientific bases, and some tourists do visit, but there are no Antarctic colonies, and likely never will be. Even though it is far more hospitable than the Moon ever will be, and slightly easier to resupply, it is still not economically viable to establish a colony. There will be scientific outposts on the Moon, but I doubt they will be continuously occupied, especially if the US sticks with SLS to put the boots on the ground.