Private Moon Landing in the works: "Golden Spike" [View all]

[bananas]

From a messageboard (which is not associated with NASA despite it's name):

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=30367.0

Private Moon Landing in the works?

« on: 11/15/2012 08:08 PM »

From Chris' latest article:

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/11/exploration-alternatives-propellant-depots-commercial-lunar-base/

source information acquired by L2 this week revealed plans for a “game-changing” announcement as early as December that a new commercial space company intends to send commercial astronauts to the moon by 2020.

According to the information, the effort is led by a group of high profile individuals from the aerospace industry and backed by some big money and foreign investors. The company intends to use “existing or soon to be existing launch vehicles, spacecraft, upper stages, and technologies” to start their commercial manned lunar campaign.

The details point to the specific use of US vehicles, with a basic architecture to utilize multiple launches to assemble spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The details make direct reference to the potential use of propellant depots and fuel transfer technology.

Additional notes include a plan to park elements in lunar orbit, staging a small lunar lander that would transport two commercial astronauts to the surface for short stays.

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some tweets from nasawatch (also not affiliated with NASA):

https://twitter.com/NASAWatch/status/269511346649968641

Company named "Golden Spike" composed of Shuttle, Apollo & planetary science veterans apparently working on a commercial human Moon mission

https://twitter.com/NASAWatch/status/269518325254598656

"Golden Spike" commercial lunar exploration company includes Wayne Hale, Jerry Griffin, Alan Stern

https://twitter.com/NASAWatch/status/269524199163453440

"Golden Spike" commercial lunar exploration company has @HomerHickam on its board of advisors