This is obviously a good plan that will probably bring many insights at a relatively low price. And yet.... I cannot escape the feeling that it is not very elegant; this primitive human trait of blowing things up, even if it is done in the name of science.

Seems like it would have been a good idea to do the same thing with the Phoenix mission to Mars. I'm not sure it's as much about science, as it is about identifying mineral deposits to allocate mining rights. While gravity can make the price of sending rescources from earth into orbit exorbitant, if we can find a fuel source (He3?) The Moon with 1/6 of the gravity is likely to be far more cost effective - If only we knew more about the Van Allen Belt.