So, I started thinking about these robots we spend billions of dollars to send to Mars and it taking 6 months for one to get there.... and a question popped up in my head... what about the Moon? heck she is right up there close by... why don't we have these autonomic critters running all around it? Is it just not worth it to do any more exploration?

They're exploring Mars using robots now in prepping for eventual human travel there.

For the moon, it's the case of been there done that.

That's my take on it.

The moon is actually a much harsher environment.

First, it’s a hard vacuum. Having no atmosphere, the temperature can vary from 260 to -280 Fahrenheit. Very hard on machines.

Lunar dust is extremely pervasive and destructive. It sticks to everything, and both abrasive and causes parts/seals wear and overheating rapidly. The fine dust is basically tiny shards of glass and sandpaper combined.

Low gravity makes getting out of tricky situations difficult as well I suspect.

The moon would make an excellent launch pad for exploration though- low gravity and lots of water for rocket fuel. The biggest task would be maintaining equipment I imagine. Proximinity to earth would be a huge plus in the event of emergencies also.