NASA plans a permanent Outpost on the Moon

Sephiroth · Post time 5-12-2006 01:01 PM

Source : http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061205/ap_on_sc/nasa_moon

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By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer
Mon Dec 4, 7:48 PM ET

WASHINGTON - NASA may be going to the same old moon with a ship that looks a lot like a 1960s Apollo capsule, but the space agency said Monday that it's going to do something dramatically different this time: Stay there.

Unveiling the agency's bold plan for a return to the moon, NASA said it will establish an international base camp on one of the moon's poles, permanently staffing it by 2024, four years after astronauts land there.

NASA chose a "lunar outpost" over the short expeditions of the '60s. Apollo flights were all around the middle area of the moon, but NASA decided to go to the moon's poles because they are best for longer-term settlements. And this time NASA is welcoming other nations on its journey.

The more likely of the two lunar destinations is the moon's south pole because it's sunlit for three-quarters of the time. That offers a better locale for solar power, plus the site has possible resources to mine nearby, said associate deputy administrator Doug Cooke.

The estimated time frame for NASA's lunar plans are:

2009 ? a first test of one of the lunar spaceships.

2014 ? the first manned test flight of the Orion crew exploration vehicle, but no moon landing.

2020 ? the first flight of the four-astronaut crew to the moon.

For four years, the lunar base won't be built up enough for long visits, so astronauts will only spend a week at a time. But after that, NASA envisions people living on the moon for six-month stints.

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NASA planning it big (Vision 2020) for the next 20 years or so, and Malaysia probably will help with it's "research" on how to make tea tarik in Space. :nerd: