A lunar sample on display. Credit: NASA
A lunar sample on display. Credit: NASA

A realistic and cost-effective path for the United States to advance the exploration and development of the moon, and to keep our nation in the forefront of that enterprise, is to dramatically increase robotic exploration efforts and to focus with urgency on a comprehensive campaign to collect and return geologic samples from a wide range of locations on the moon.

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Andrew Petro retired after 45 years as an aerospace engineer and program manager at the NASA Johnson Space Center and NASA Headquarters. His work included Space Shuttle flight operations, engineering for human spacecraft, design of lunar and Mars vehicles...