Dennis Tito To Announce Private Human Mars Mission

[bananas]

24. Don't need a Saturn V

Space Adventures is planning to send three people into lunar orbit in a few years (two paying customers and a soyuz pilot).

http://www.spaceadventures.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Lunar.Details

You will begin your journey to the far side of the moon by first launching into space aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. A second rocket will launch a Lunar Module comprising of an additional habitation module and a propulsion module. Your spacecraft will rendezvous with this additional system in low-Earth orbit. The engagement of the two will provide your spacecraft with the required propellant to travel to the moon. The propulsion module will fire and you will start your majestic journey around the moon.

Golden Spike will land people on the moon using four launches - the first two send a lander to lunar orbit, the second two send the crew to lunar orbit. They'll use a Dragon capsule and Falcon Heavy rockets, and are having Northrup Grumman build them a lander.

http://www.geekologie.com/2012/12/honeymoon-on-the-moon-new-company-promis.php

Similarly, you could build the Mars craft out at L2 by sending up a piece at a time.

Or you could build it in LEO, then attach an ion engine, and spiral it out to L2.

Then send the crew to the Mars craft the same way Space Adventures and Golden Spike send people to lunar orbit.