The first Space colony?

NASA now officially declared that, the plan to land on the moon and establish a base will reach its critical phase with the first landing and the establishment of an outpost. This of course sounds more like something out of an Sci-Fi novel or movie then reality. The benefits that NASA envisions from creating a base on the moon are several. First they want to use this base to increase the knowledge about the universe and the creation of the planet and hope to answer some more questions relating to where live comes from. Further this expedition is likely to increase international cooperation since this is a multi-national effort. Further it can increase our 'economical sphere' or simply put we can use the moon for resources. Further the moon project would allow for a Sandbox which relatively close for manned missions to Mars. Further it could then be used as a launch platform for manned missions to the Mars and eventually to other planets.
Is all that just a nice dream? It is unlikely since NASA and other Space Agencies seem to be very motivated to complete this mission and succeed in creating this colony. All this sounds as id our Sci-Fi fantasies are coming true, or at least some of them are. Of course one has to remember that this would be true for many technologies we use today such as the car, the Internet or simply the Computer and most other technologies we use today. Were considered 'Sci-Fi' or impossible to achieve this is a very ambitious project which is likely to consume a great deal of resources, yet this gamble might well pay off.

Here are links that offer some information concerning this issue.
Why the moon? Poster (NASA)
Moon, Mars and beyond (NASA article)