Private Sector, Low-Cost Lunar Plan Unveiled

NASA is looking in the right direction, but as I noted earlier, a $100+B plan to land again on the moon in 2018 is hardly an example of any semblance of progressive engineering or management. Still, it is some forward momentum, and is positive for that reason if no other.

Now comes a private group, taking their own look at the concept. For the price of the NASA plan, they estimate they can have 40 people to the moon, with a good start at a permanent base. Oh yeah, they’re looking at landing between 20-10-2015, for a price of $10B – 1/10th the NASA price tag.

Picture from SpaceDev.com

A newly released study has focused on how best to return people to the Moon, reporting that future lunar missions can be done for under $10 billion – far less than a NASA price tag. The multi-phased three-year study was done by a private space firm, SpaceDev of Poway, California, and concluded that safe, lower cost missions can be completed by the private sector using existing technology or innovative new technology expected to be available in time to support human exploration of the Moon in the near-future.

Why should there be a surprise that the private sector, when it sets it’s hand to the task, is able to run circles around a 50 year old government bureaucracy?

Way to go guys! Keep up the good work!