Fed2 Star - the newsletter for the space trading game Federation 2

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by ibgames

EARTHDATE: August 14, 2016

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REAL LIFE NEWS: MOON EXPRESS PRIVATE LANDER GETS THE GO-AHEAD – NOT THAT IT REALLY NEEDS IT!

by Hazed

The first privately-funded moon mission, Moon Express, has just won approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and according to a press release it put out last week, that gives it the permission it needs to will send a lander to the moon late next year.

The lander, described as the size of a suitcase, hasn’t been completed yet. It will be carried to the moon on a rocket made by a start-up firm called Rocket Lab. Its payload will be science experiments and some commercial cargo. It will also beam pictures back to Earth.

In fact, since the US government doesn’t own the moon it doesn’t need permission to land there – the even if it did, the FAA doesn’t have the authority to grant it although it would love it if its remit expanded that far. The second link below explains just what’s going on.

Moon Express is competing for the Lunar X Prize, in which the first commercial group to land a probe on the moon will be awarded $20m. Funded by Google, it was set up in 2007. Other private companies are expected to seek permission for their own moon missions so Moon Express will have competition for the prize.

What with all the governments sending landers to the moon, it may get crowded there soon! There are already 60 American and Russian space vehicles, three Apollo buggies – and two golf balls – left on the moon.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36970326
http://www.cringely.com/2016/08/11/15349/

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