I just thought of something. What about a large radio telescope on the far side of the moon, where the effects of the Earth's magnetic field would be nil? Clarke mentioned that in "2001".
It is not so much the Earth's magnetic field, but the electromagnetic interference at low wavelengths by all our technology. High wavelengths can be blocked by man made shields, but it takes a very large body to block the low wavelengths. Low wavelength radio telescopes would benefit big bang research greatly. Yes, that would be an excellent lunar project but would not need to be manned during operation. For construction however, there might be something to be gained.
I've read about that, including the idea of a space elevator.
Yup, a space elevator reduces the power requirements dramatically for putting payload into Earth orbit. The challenges however are significant for materials, construction, and safety. Larry Niven solved the materials issue with the wire that connected his shadow squares (who remembers that?)
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