Will there be people living on the moon by 2020?

Answer 1

There are only two potentials:

• It is highly unlikely. There is neither the funding or the political will.
• Times of high political, and economical stress in the past have pushed governments to do remarkable things. In the midst of the Cold War, while the US was deeply involved in a hot war in Southeast Asia, and the Soviet Union was struggling to feed her people, with the threat of nuclear devastation hanging over the entire world, the Soviets and US undertook near Earth space exploration. This resulted in a steep rise in the development of technology that has benefited mankind since. The Cold War is essentially over, or at least changed to the point that two enemies regularly cooperate with each other to continue the same exploits through which the competed in the middle of the 20th century. It is entirely possible that there will be full time research stations, at least, on the moon within the next seven years (being 2013 now). It might even be necessary if astronauts are expected to reach Mars.

Answer 2

No, there are currently no plans or technologies in place to establish a permanent human presence on the moon by 2020. While there are discussions and initiatives for future moon missions, they are still in the early stages of development.