TransOrbital: The Commercial Race To The Moon

apsmith writes: "Some of the companies that were preparing for a race to commercialize space and return to the moon (like Idealab's "Blastoff.com") have vanished with the stock market meltdown. But TransOrbital, a privately held company, is still plugging away, and claims to be on schedule for launch in the 4th quarter of 2001. The funding model seems to be generating lots of pretty pictures and selling them. Though for just $2500 you can also send your business card to the Moon!" Sounds like they've pushed their schedule a little bit since last mention, but considering the scope of the project, nearly any launch date would still be respectable.

Comments

My card on the moon...ok...

[ackthpt]

Now who has the burden of proof here? Does TransOrbital prove to me that my card is sitting on the moon (or in a well staged sandbox in New Jersey, filled with the grey dust that comes out of vacuum cleaners) or do I have to prove that it's not (in fact sitting in tiny strips under a paper shredder in New Jersey) .. Or .. should I just have faith and go around puffing about what a .biz stud I am that my card is on the moon?

If you had to ask me (which, of course you don't) these are more impressive at least someone can break into a house with one, in say, New Jersey.

Don't even have the licenses to launch.

[A Commentor]

From there May 31, 01 press release. There where just getting applications ready to submit inorder to get approval for launch... None of the other press releases state that they have received approval, or that they have even submitted the applications...

I think they are much further off than 4th Quarter of 2001...

return ticket ?

[hrstrand]

at $2500 pr. gram, It would be something like $350M to send Steve Balmer up there on a one way ticket. Maybe we should all throw in a buck or two ?