Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Director General Of European Space Agency Clarifies His Vision “To Establish An Infrastructure On The Moon… To Do First-Class Fundamental Research”; International Research Station On Lunar Surface NET 2024 Should Serve As Next Foothold Of Human Expansion Into Solar System After ISS; Moon Focus Increasing ESA Collaboration With China, Russia, Japan & U.S. On Moon / Mars / Space Missions
Credit: ESA, Foster + Partners
Roscosmos Deputy Chief Denis Lyskov Says Government Will Not Be Involved In Plan To Send 2 Space Tourists On Circumlunar Trip Aboard Modified Soyuz; Space Agency Leaders Disappointed They Were Not Consulted About Project, Have No Plans To Modernize Soyuz; Mission Plan Developed By US-Based Space Adventures & Russia Spacecraft Manufacturer Energia Rocket & Space Corporation; Government Plan To Obtain 51% Stake In Energia & Need For Government Approval May Put Mission In Doubt
Image Credit: CSI, Roscosmos, Space Adventures, Energia
Russia Aerospace Company RSC Energia CEO Vitaly Lopota (BR) Confirms Plan To Send 2 Space Tourists To Circle The Moon In 2017 Or 2018 Via Modified Soyuz, “We Can Do This”; Virginia-Based Partner Space Adventures (SA) Describes Mission As Bold Return To Deep Space Exploration, SA President Tom Shelley Confirms That 2 People Have Already Committed To Purchase The US$150M Seats, Company Has Yet To Disclose Identity Of The First Lunar Tourists
Image Credit: RSC Energia, Space Adventures
Universal Space Payment Initiative ‘PayPal Galactic’ Headed By PayPal, Apollo Moonworker Buzz Aldrin, Space Tourism Society, SETI Institute To Address Multi-World, Multi-Star Species; As Space & Moon Tourism Becomes Reality With GSC, SpaceX, VG, XCOR, Humans Will Need Interplanetary Payment System For Flights, E-Books, Moon-Rock Souvenirs, Pizza Deliveries In Space; Moon Travel 1st Step Toward Asteroids, Mars, Jupiter, Deep Space, Galaxy Stars
Image Credit: STS, K. Belew/CNN
Alan Stern Says Golden Spike Company Intends To Begin Construction Of Lunar Transport System In 2015, Commence Uncrewed Test Flights By 2017 Culminating With Lunar Landing In 2019, 2 Or 3 Round Trips To Moon Per Year Thereafter; Can Develop Entire Program For US$5-8B; Company Expects US$13.7B In Revenues By 2022 Through Pre-Paid Customers, Media Rights / Sponsorships Fostered By Creating Worldwide Fan Base For Space Exploration
Image Credit: Golden Spike Company, NASA, feeblitz.com
India Commercial Space Company Earth2Orbit Founder Susmita Mohanty Discusses India’s Part In NewSpace Movement & Her Thoughts On How To Accelerate Human Spaceflight Development; Aerospace Companies Over-Engineer / Under-Design Crew Craft With Exorbitant Costs; International Consortium Of Companies Such As Apple, Samsung, SpaceX Could Design Spaceships That Think; Private Astronaut Taxis To LEO & Moon Would Follow
Image Credit: Abhijit Bhatlekar, Earth2Orbit
Famed Moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, Who Recently Celebrated 83rd Birthday (20 Jan), Still Active In Space Exploration Initiatives / Advocacy; Teaming Up With AXE To Send 22 Contest Winners To Space Aboard XCOR Lynx Spacecraft Operated By Tourism Firm Space Expedition Curacao; The Astronaut Who Spent 289.9 Hours In Space, Including 21.6 Hours On Lunar Surface Says “Space Travel For Everyone Is The Next Frontier In The Human Experience”
Image Credit: AXE, XCOR Aerospace
Columbus New World Expedition, With Use Of Private Financing & Federally Granted Trade Patent, Used As Model By Jonathan Goff To Demonstrate A Means To Stimulate Private Lunar Development; Goff Suggests Granting Of Lunar Patents May Be As Effective, And Less Complicated, As / Than Recognizing Lunar Property Rights; Private Company Could Get 10-15-Year Rights To Percentage Of All Commercial Lunar Ventures, Including ISRU, Tourism, Etc
Image Credit: nss.org, agefotostock.com
Image Credit: Air & Space, CNET
21st Century Entrepreneurs Look To Moon For Opportunity / Inspiration; Eric Anderson & His Lunar Tourism Venture Featured On Front Page Of Air & Space Magazine March 2012 Edition; CNET Displays Slideshow Of Apollo Artifacts In Venture Capitalist Steve Jurvetson’s Private Collection
Image Credit: Air & Space, Space Adventures, CSI
Eric Anderson / Space Adventures Featured In March 2012 Edition Of Air & Space Magazine; Working On Circumlunar Mission With Modified Russian Soyuz; Once 2nd Passenger Reserves Space (US$150M) “Metal Will Be Bent At Energia”, Mission To Follow In Four Years; If A Success, Anderson Hopes To Make 2nd Or 3rd Lunar Flyby Trip Himself