I think that's exactly it. The U.S. hasn't gone back because it is so expensive. In the 1970s the U.S. hit some hard times financially and spending the billions on extending the moon missions was deemed unnecessary by the government. Instead they developed the space shuttle.
American politicians always talk of going back, but when it comes time to pony up the money, there is never enough. Also NASA decided to spend its limited funds on unmanned programs like the Mars rovers.
There are some unmanned missions to the moon planned for the near future, and there has been a lot of talk about a multi-nation manned return to the moon. But I think the reason the program ended, both in the US and the USSR was simply due to economics.
However, I don't see the fact that the US hasn't gone back (or the USSR never made it there) is credible evidence that no landing ever took place.
I think that's exactly it. The U.S. hasn't gone back because it is so expensive. In the 1970s the U.S. hit some hard times financially and spending the billions on extending the moon missions was deemed unnecessary by the government. Instead they developed the space shuttle.
American politicians always talk of going back, but when it comes time to pony up the money, there is never enough. Also NASA decided to spend its limited funds on unmanned programs like the Mars rovers.
There are some unmanned missions to the moon planned for the near future, and there has been a lot of talk about a multi-nation manned return to the moon. But I think the reason the program ended, both in the US and the USSR was simply due to economics.
However, I don't see the fact that the US hasn't gone back (or the USSR never made it there) is credible evidence that no landing ever took place.