Make it a one-way trip.
So, how much does that change requirements? It means no need for ascent on the lander, or entry from TEI. It’s probably a Falcon Heavy mission. We eliminate the initial need for a suit, too. Hardest part would be how to resupply without EVA capability.
Could NASA do it? Probably not, politically, but a private expedition could.
Hey, stupid conservatives, I was just kidding. Why can’t you take a joke?
[Update a few minutes later]
Thoughts from Treacher.
Bezos is supposed to make a major announcement today in DC (half an hour from now), but apparently it won’t be live streamed, and only a few select reporters have been invited. Reportedly, Mark Sirangelo, the new guy at NASA in charge of moon return, is present. Meanwhile, Emilee Speck follows the breadcrumbs.
[Update a few minutes later, but before the event]
Here’s a story from Ken Chang, at the NYT (though I would note that the OST does not explicitly forbid lunar property ownership).
[Update after the news conference]
OK, while many hadn’t heard it before, he started with his standard O’Neillian recitation of why he’s doing all this. The news (as expected) was the unveiling of a mock up of the Blue Moon lander, which he says can put 6.5 tons on the moon by 2024. He also announced a new LOX/LH engine for it, designated BE-7, capable of deep throttling. Tim Fernholz has the story.
This looks like it could be a breakthrough new process.
As usual, though there’s probably a catch, in terms of scalability. Also, it doesn’t discuss it, but it seems like it should be even easier with seawater.
It’s been helping SpaceX innovate, and disrupt a moribund launch industry.
An assessment of the prospects for the various satellite broadband plans.
Glenn Reynolds reviews Bob Zubrin’s new book. I haven’t read it yet.
[Afternoon update]
Leonard David has a new space book out, too. I should be getting review copies of both soon.
Just as when you’re pulling nickel out of the ground in Sudbury, when you use ocean water you’re mining asteroids. As I noted in my latest essay, the more we learn about the solar system, the more we discover that, as opposed to being what we long thought was “the water planet,” earth is a comparative desert. The water is mostly extraterrestrial.
To expand on Krafft Ehricke’s famous statement, if God had wanted us to become space faring, he’d have given us a moon. With water on it.
How to talk to them about capitalism.
Our (mal)educational system is a large part of the problem.
I don’t usually post from Facebook, but Jeff Greason has an interesting/depressing thought:
In the Star Trek episode “Tomorrow is Yesterday”, Kirk is told “I’m going to lock you up for two hundred years”. He looks at the camera (very nearly breaking the fourth wall), and says “that ought to be just about right” — in other words, telling the viewer that Star Trek is set about 200 years in the future.
That episode was filmed in 1968.
That was 50 years ago.
Somehow, I don’t feel we’ve made 1/4 of the progress from Apollo to Star Trek
As Mike Heney points out over there, we haven’t even made a quarter of the progress from Apollo back to Apollo.