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Lunar Mission One Proposes To Take Core Sample, Plant Time Capsule On the Moon

Posted by Soulskill on from the since-mars-one-did-so-well dept.

MarkWhittington writes: The U.S. may have foresworn the moon, the venue of its greatest space triumph during the Apollo program, by presidential directive, but that does not mean that other countries and even private organizations are uninterested. The latest proposal for a private moon landing is a British effort called Lunar Mission One, according to a Wednesday story in the New Scientist. Its goal is twofold. The undertaking proposes to drill a 20 meter core sample below the lunar surface for analysis. Lunar Mission One will also deploy the first moon based time capsule. A Kickstarter effort has begun for initial funding.

4 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. Robots can't drill by Russ1642 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you're going to drill any decent depth you'll have to put together a manned mission with a bunch of roughneck drilling rig workers. They're the only ones that can operate drilling equipment. It can't possibly be taught to other astronauts, and most certainly not some dumb robot.

  2. Cynical of promises.... by wired_parrot · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm skeptical of anyone who thinks they can fund a complex lunar exploration mission as a kickstarter project.

    All that I foresee coming out of this is a multi-year "consulting study", using the dreams and hopes of space enthusiasts to pay for it. In another words, one space consultant gets a paid multi-year sabatical, with a short assignment report on the Moon at the end as the only result.

    But maybe I'm just a cynic when it comes to kickstarter projects and their promises....

    1. Re:Cynical of promises.... by Russ1642 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Raising and managing the billions required requires a full company, let alone actually producing anything. Kickstarter just isn't up to the task.

  3. 20M drilling project on very fist lunar mission by Hadlock · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Did these guys just say "hey let's do a lunar sample return mission! high five!" and throw together a kick starter? They don't even have a target launch vehicle chosen yet. Not only do they want to do a return sample mission (something China has been working on for 15 years) but they want to drill a 60 ft hole in the moon while they're at it. This is, to use a pun, lunacy. The logistics involved of entering lunar orbit, let alone landing are incredible. And they want to throw a 60' drilling apparatus on there that will work flawlessly? Not even the ESA can get their 8" drill to work on the comet correctly and that's just ice.
     
    Good luck with that.

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