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Monday, November 25, 2024

Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost Lunar Lander

The Silicon Greybeard reports on  Lunar Lander. He quotes from this story:

Firefly Aerospace completes Blue Ghost moon lander for January 2025 SpaceX launch

It sounds cool and it sounds like it is getting launched to the moon in January. These lines from the story caught my eye:

Blue Ghost will carry a variety of payloads to the moon, some of which are in support of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. CLPS pairs scientific payloads developed by NASA with commercial lunar landers headed for the moon on private missions. 

They bestirred me (was I triggered?) enough to comment:

". . . commercial lunar landers headed for the moon on private missions." I am curious to see just what those turn out to be, and if any of them will be long term successful. Tourists would have to be #1. At current cargo rates you should be able to put a person in orbit for $100K. In a capsule designed for people it would be more. I expect that within five years you will be able to buy a seat on a rocket to the moon for a million dollars. You know there are a bunch of people out there with money who would jump at the chance.

I am sure there are any number of schemes in the works. Tourism might not be the biggest enterprise in the long term, but it ought to be a big seller to start with. Maybe enough to even make it real business. 


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