Billed as the first meeting to determine what explorers would do when they return to the lunar surface. The gathering drew some 180 participants from more than a dozen countries, including China, Russia, Japan and the nations of the European Space Agency.

Shana Dale, NASA's deputy administrator, said one clear goal was to do business. "The teams recognize the critical importance of space commerce -- having real companies going to the moon and making money - the government needs to be a trailblazer and enabler with a desire (GREED) to see commerce take off."

The strategy workshop was the first of several scheduled for this year that aim to set out specific goals for future space missions to the moon and Mars, as described by President George W. Bush in Jan 2004 in a sweeping "Vision for Space Exploration."

A new Crew Exploration Vehicle meant to return humans to the lunar surface is still on the drawing board, and may not be ready until 2012 or later. The last time humans went to the moon was aboard NASA's Apollo 17 in 1972. Since then, China has begun its own human space program and also sent representatives to this meeting.

Aside from the central issues of commerce, international cooperation and public engagement, the working groups also noted the need for lunar law early in the process. David Beatty of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said an international legal framework would be helpful in the area of property rights, interoperability standards and making hardware from various countries work together.

Such laws could govern more prosaic issues as well like how we're going to decide which side of the road we drive on, on the moon. (VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Reprinted and edited with out consent.