The real deal is here.

I had never heard of this and it sounds really interesting. It reminds of planet cracking in Dead Space.

Yes, I've heard about that, but... We don't have a base on Moon, or there is but it is a secret one... so... What do I want to say? I think we are far away from that.

As a Geochemist I want to be on that first prospecting mission!

Hopefully Bruce Willis will be there to save the day too :P 

The European Space Agency is wanting to set up a colony on Earth's moon.  One big incentive is minerals.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/moon-mars/a24427/europe-plan-moon-base/

https://www.space.com/28189-moon-mining-economic-feasibility.html

I also read something on NASA's website that they rejected to fund research for cyrosleep.  I can't remember why they did reject it though.  Still, someone or some group put that information out there during one of NASA's research solicitations for technology that could benefit space exploration.  They picked 15 to fund.

I think they rejected cryosleep because of ethics.  I am going by memory here though and it has been maybe 7 months since I read that article on NASA.gov.  I wish I would have kept it!

Interesting indeed.....  However at the current going rate i think we will be looking at THIS!

Now, BigDave. Don't go spreading some  vague Chinese propaganda around here. The Chinese do you that enough for themselves. Explain yourself. Please explain yourself.

@I Moon Girl

This is pretty cool! That's too bad about NASA rejecting the cryo-sleep research. No worries, I'm sure some pioneering entrepreneur like Elon Musk will pick it up!

You are absolutely correct VivisectedEngineer. Private industry will most certainly raise their hands to fund cryo-sleep or any other life extension-type tech.

This is a great topic I Moon Girl.

I recommend Seveneves from Neal Stephenson...a sci-fi epic novel.

Humanity is facing extinction because an "agent" intervened in our progress. We are forced to use today's technology to get a precious few into orbit before the coming rain of fire lasting for millennia on the Earth's surface.

The book then jumps 5,000 years forward to when the children of the survivors that made it to low Earth orbit make their way back to the surface of Earth for the first time and realize some also survived under the surface and at the bottom of the ocean.

IRaptus, I'm sure you'd like it being a geochemist.

I felt like I had been educated in aerospace engineering, nanotech, genomic science, astroid mining, robotics, etc...Neal Stephenson does not disappoint in research. You can also use the book as a weapon if needed (880 pages). Parts of the book are very similar to Armageddon and the politicians in the book are as corrupt as some in the real world. 

Stephenson also does a great job of describing human technology thousands of years from now. Bill Gates' notes on the book are here.

"Stephenson also does a great job of describing human technology thousands of years from now."

That sounds very interesting.  I'll put it on to read list.  Sadly, the list is already to big. :(  Still, the way you described the book and the up-and-coming time that I'm about to have may make reading this possible.  We'll see.  Thanks for sharing!

I don't recommend a lot of books but from your topic I believe you would really enjoy it I Moon Girl. You're most welcome.

I think BigDave is right. None of us here right now will live to see the OP as cool as it is. It will take a lot of time, research and funding.