{"id":15374,"date":"2017-12-21T12:57:22","date_gmt":"2017-12-21T17:57:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=15374"},"modified":"2017-12-21T12:57:22","modified_gmt":"2017-12-21T17:57:22","slug":"moon-settlements-via-nasa-commercial-partnerships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=15374","title":{"rendered":"Moon settlements via NASA-Commercial partnerships"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Trump administration\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/39055-trump-space-policy-moon-return-reactions.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recently announced<\/a>\u00a0that the Moon is now the primary goal for NASA&#8217;s human spaceflight program. While the initiative calls for NASA to develop &#8220;an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners&#8221;, it&#8217;s very likely the plan\u00a0will be centered around the hyper-expensive Space Launch System\/Orion spacecraft systems because of the strong political support for these jobs programs. Since NASA&#8217;s budget is very unlikely to be increased, this means the lunar program will be stretched out many years and probably suffer cancellation by a future administration before any US astronaut sets foot again on the lunar surface.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"15375\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=15375\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/LunarCOTSbase.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"528,255\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"LunarCOTSbase\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/LunarCOTSbase.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15375\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/LunarCOTSbase.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/LunarCOTSbase.jpg 528w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/LunarCOTSbase-300x145.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Rather than fight\u00a0<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"SLS\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">SLS<\/span>\/Orion, proposals have been put forth that would have NASA allocate a small fraction of its annual budget for commercial led lunar projects while letting\u00a0<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"SLS\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">SLS<\/span>\/Orion lumber on in parallel.\u00a0\u00a0For example, in the summer of 2015, a group led by\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thespaceshow.com\/guest\/charles-miller\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/www.thespaceshow.com\/guest\/charles-miller\">Charles Miller<\/a>\u00a0released the NASA funded &#8220;<em>Evolved Lunar Architecture<\/em>&#8221; study:<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul dir=\"ltr\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/280099331_Economic_Assessment_and_Systems_Analysis_of_an_Evolvable_Lunar_Architecture_that_Leverages_Commercial_Space_Capabilities_and_Public-Private-Partnerships\" target=\"_d\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/280099331_Economic_Assessment_and_Systems_Analysis_of_an_Evolvable_Lunar_Architecture_that_Leverages_Commercial_Space_Capabilities_and_Public-Private-Partnerships\">Economic Assessment and Systems Analysis of an Evolvable Lunar Architecture that Leverages Commercial Space Capabilities and Public-Private-Partnerships<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>The study found that<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Based on the experience of recent NASA program innovations, such as the COTS program, a human return to the Moon may not be as expensive as previously thought.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2022 America could lead a return of humans to the surface of the Moon within a period of 5-7 years from authority to proceed at an estimated total cost of about $10 Billion (+\/- 30%) for two independent and competing commercial service providers, or about $5 Billion for each provider, using partnership methods.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2022 America could lead the development of a permanent industrial base on the Moon of 4 private-sector astronauts in about 10-12 years after setting foot on the Moon that could provide 200 MT of propellant per year in lunar orbit for NASA for a total cost of about $40 Billion (+\/- 30%).<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2022 Assuming NASA receives a flat budget, these results could potentially be achieved within NASA\u2019s existing deep space human spaceflight budget<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>An interesting similar proposal\u00a0has been put forth by independent space advocate\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/thespaceshow.com\/guest\/dr.-doug-plata\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/thespaceshow.com\/guest\/dr.-doug-plata\">Dr. Doug Plata<\/a>, who discussed his\u00a0<em><a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/join.html\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/join.html\">Plan for Sustainable Space Development<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>with David Livingston on\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/thespaceshow.com\/show\/06-nov-2017\/broadcast-3011-dr.-doug-plata\" target=\"_d\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/thespaceshow.com\/show\/06-nov-2017\/broadcast-3011-dr.-doug-plata\">The\u00a0Space Show &#8211; Mon, 11\/06\/2017 &#8211; 14:00<\/a><\/p>\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-15374-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/thespaceshow.com\/sites\/default\/files\/shows\/3011-BWB-2017-11-06.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/thespaceshow.com\/sites\/default\/files\/shows\/3011-BWB-2017-11-06.mp3\">http:\/\/thespaceshow.com\/sites\/default\/files\/shows\/3011-BWB-2017-11-06.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>Details of the plan, which is more specific in its implementation that the\u00a0<em>Evolved Lunar A<\/em><em>rchitecture <\/em>study, are described at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/\">Space Development.org<\/a>\u00a0&#8211;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>The Plan presented here proposes a path for America\u2019s space program which starts humanity\u2019s first, permanent steps off Earth. Using cost-effective approaches and near-term technology, it would not require any significant increase in NASA\u2019s budget yet it would establish a permanent base on the Moon in such a way as to thoroughly inspire the citizens of the US and around the world.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The Plan proposes that, for only 5-7% of NASA\u2019s budget, using proven public-private approaches, the US could:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"telerobotically\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">telerobotically<\/span>\u00a0harvest the ice at the poles of the Moon to refuel reusable landers,<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>establish a permanent base starting with a commercial crew of eight,<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>facilitate a great deal of international lunar exploration,<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>gain experience of use for Mars while not slowing the Journey to Mars.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>set the stage for private individuals to move to the Moon (i.e. actual settlement)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Key hardware components include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>[<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"nsg\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">nsg<\/span>]SpaceX{SET}[\/<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"nsg\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">nsg<\/span>]&#8217;s\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/fh.html\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/fh.html\">Falcon Heavy<\/a>\u00a0launcher to reduce\u00a0<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"transportaton\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">transportaton<\/span>\u00a0costs.<\/li>\n<li>The reusable\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/xeus.html\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/xeus.html\"><span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"Xeus\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">Xeus<\/span>\u00a0lander<\/a>\u00a0&#8211; [<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"nsg\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">nsg<\/span>]<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"Masten\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">Masten<\/span>\u00a0Space{MSS}[\/<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"nsg\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">nsg<\/span>] and [<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"nsg\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">nsg<\/span>]<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"ULA\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">ULA<\/span>{<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"ULA\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">ULA<\/span>}[\/<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"nsg\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">nsg<\/span>]\u00a0have been working on the design of this system based on a modified\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Centaur_(rocket_stage)\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Centaur_(rocket_stage)\">Centaur<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Advanced_Cryogenic_Evolved_Stage\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Advanced_Cryogenic_Evolved_Stage\">ACES<\/a>\u00a0upper stage. &#8220;It is estimated that the development of the launch-ready lunar lander shouldn&#8217;t take more than $200 million to develop&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/telerobots.html\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/telerobots.html\"><span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"Telerobots\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">Telerobots<\/span><\/a>:\n<ul>\n<li>The Ice\u00a0<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"Harvestor\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">Harvestor<\/span>\u00a0would be designed to scoop up icy regolith from the bottoms of polar craters.<\/li>\n<li>Dexterous\u00a0<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"Telerobots\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">Telerobots<\/span>\u00a0would have human-like arms and hands for carrying out various support and repair operations\u00a0<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"tele-robotically\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">tele-robotically<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15381\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15381\" style=\"width: 266px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/telerobots.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"15381\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=15381\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/excavator1.png\" data-orig-size=\"266,240\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Ice Harvester Prototype\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/excavator1.png\" class=\"wp-image-15381 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/excavator1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"266\" height=\"240\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15381\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Ice harvester prototype.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Doug has long been an advocate for a\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/lunarcots.html\" target=\"_d\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/lunarcots.html\">Lunar\u00a0COTS<\/a>\u00a0public-private partnership program following the example of the highly successful\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commercial_Orbital_Transportation_Services\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commercial_Orbital_Transportation_Services\">COTS (Commercial Orbital Transportation System)<\/a>\u00a0program, which enabled low cost development of the SpaceX Falcon 9\/Dragon and [<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"nsg\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">nsg<\/span>]Orbital\u00a0<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"ATK\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">ATK<\/span>{OA}[\/<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"nsg\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">nsg<\/span>] Antares\/Cygnus launch systems for delivering cargo to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/station\/main\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">International Space Station<\/a>. A similar sort of competitive, fixed-price contracting approach should work for lunar development as well.<\/p>\n<div>\n<blockquote><p><em>Since we have the recent record of how the public-private programs have operated, how much they have cost, and how long it has taken them to achieve milestones, we can have a pretty accurate idea of what it would take for the set of Lunar COTS programs. So, at 5-7% of NASA&#8217;s budget, it is estimated that it would take:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>2 years &#8211; Terrestrial Demonstrator of a full-scale lunar lander.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>6 years &#8211; Development of the ice-harvesting\u00a0<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"telerobots\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">telerobots<\/span>.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>6 years &#8211; Development of a launch-ready lunar lander.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>8 years &#8211; Selection and training of the first permanent crew.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>8 years &#8211; Arrival of the first crew at a permanent lunar habitat.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>9 years &#8211; Arrival of a series of international lunar exploration teams.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>11 years &#8211; First arrivals of private individuals at an expanding lunar base \/ settlement.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15376\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/xeus.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"15376\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=15376\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/LunarLanderStack-DougPlata.png\" data-orig-size=\"794,471\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Lunar Lander Stack &amp;#8211; Doug Plata\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/LunarLanderStack-DougPlata.png\" class=\"wp-image-15376\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/LunarLanderStack-DougPlata.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/LunarLanderStack-DougPlata.png 794w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/LunarLanderStack-DougPlata-300x178.png 300w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/LunarLanderStack-DougPlata-768x456.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Schematic of lunar lander system.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Doug goes on to describe many other aspects of the mission such as<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/unihab.html\" target=\"_d\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/unihab.html\">The\u00a0<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"UniHab\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">UniHab<\/span><\/a>\u00a0&#8211; &#8220;<em>The &#8220;<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"UniHab\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">UniHab<\/span>&#8221; concept is so named because it would provide for all of the needs of an initial crew of eight. It would also be unified in that it wouldn&#8217;t consist of separate modules with weighty metal connectors but would be all one habitat. Its key feature is that it would be a very large inflatable which could be packed up into a single cargo module. It would also be relatively flat-roofed allowing for protective dirt to be placed on top without it sloughing off after inflation.<\/em>&#8220;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/centrifuge.html\" target=\"_d\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/centrifuge.html\">Centrifuge<\/a>\u00a0&#8211; &#8220;<em>Artificial gravity can be supplied in the form of an indoor centrifuge. It would be 15 meters in diameter and would spin at 11\u00a0<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"rpms\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">rpms<\/span>\u00a0providing the equivalent of Earth&#8217;s gravity. It would have chambers on the end tall enough for crew to stand up in. The chambers would swivel out when spun up so that the force vector would always be pointing down between the feet. The crew would spend about two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening in the centrifuge conducting &#8220;sedentary activities&#8221;. Four hours is about the amount that we are upright each day on Earth. The sedentary activities are those which most of us do anyhow and so wouldn&#8217;t involve any difference in normal daily activity.<\/em> &#8220;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/extendedstay.html\" target=\"_d\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/extendedstay.html\">Extended\u00a0Stays<\/a>\u00a0&#8211; &#8220;<em>Even a modest amount (e.g. 30 cm) of lunar dirt on top of the\u00a0<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"UniHab\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">UniHab<\/span>\u00a0would provide full protection against solar storms and would reduce the radiation levels of the galactic cosmic rays by about 50%. This would allow for the crew to remain on the Moon for a few years before they reached their career limits. They would then have plenty of time to maintain the\u00a0<span class=\"scayt-misspell-word\" data-scayt-word=\"telerobots\" data-scayt-lang=\"en_US\">telerobots<\/span>\u00a0to push even more dirt on top of the habitat. Therefore, it is not the radiation exposure which would limit the length that the crew could stay. Rather, it is the health effects of reduced gravity of the Moon that would likely determine how long the crew could stay.<\/em>&#8220;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/crew.html\" target=\"_d\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/crew.html\">Crew makeup<\/a>\u00a0for the first few missions designed for maximum public interest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>At the upcoming SpaceX <a href=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=15377\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Falcon Heavy launch<\/a>, Doug plans to bring an inflatable mock-up of the lander to Cape Canaveral\u00a0and set it up at one of the locations where people gather\u00a0to watch launches. He welcomes local space enthusiasts to come and discuss the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/index.html\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/index.html\">Space Development Network<\/a>\u00a0plan with him.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/xeus.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"15380\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=15380\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/mockup11.png\" data-orig-size=\"800,539\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Lunar Lander Mock-up\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/mockup11.png\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15380\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/mockup11.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/mockup11.png 800w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/mockup11-300x202.png 300w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/mockup11-768x517.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>While private individuals may not have a great deal of direct influence on the making of grand undertakings like a settlement on the Moon, advocating good ideas can initiate memes that go far and wide and multiply and eventually become implemented. The COTS program, in fact,\u00a0came about\u00a0 largely due to a couple of decades of efforts by private individuals and\u00a0space advocacy groups.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to help Doug make a Lunar COTS program happen, he welcomes you to\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/join.html\" target=\"_d\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/join.html\">join<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/join.html\" target=\"_d\" data-cke-saved-href=\"http:\/\/spacedevelopment.org\/join.html\">\u00a0the Space Development Network<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Trump administration\u00a0recently announced\u00a0that the Moon is now the primary goal for NASA&#8217;s human spaceflight program. While the initiative calls for NASA to develop &#8220;an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners&#8221;, it&#8217;s very likely the plan\u00a0will be centered around the hyper-expensive Space Launch System\/Orion spacecraft systems because of the strong &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=15374\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Moon settlements via NASA-Commercial partnerships<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,7,24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-activism","category-space-policy","category-the-moon"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-3ZY","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":18884,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18884","url_meta":{"origin":15374,"position":0},"title":"Videos: &#8220;Space to Ground&#8221; ISS report &#8211; June.1.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"June 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The latest episode of NASA's Space To Ground weekly report on activities related to the International Space Station: https:\/\/youtu.be\/ov_O0wyMFVA ** Three commercial teams were chosen by NASA's Artemis lunar program to send landers and rovers to the Moon: https:\/\/youtu.be\/qODDdqK9rL4 ** Time-lapse Earth Flyover from NASA astronaut on the ISS: This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;In Space Infrastructure&quot;","block_context":{"text":"In Space Infrastructure","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=15"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&l=am2&o=1&a=1426220057","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20095,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=20095","url_meta":{"origin":15374,"position":1},"title":"Space policy roundup &#8211; Nov.1.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"November 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of links to recent space policy, politics, and government (US and international) related space news and resource items that I found of interest (find previous space policy roundups here): Artemis lunar program: Update: Sizing up the contenders for NASA\u2019s lunar-lander program | Ars Technica NASA shares details of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Activism&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Activism","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/bigelow-xbase-_20160808-001-300x232.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18795,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18795","url_meta":{"origin":15374,"position":2},"title":"Space policy roundup &#8211; May.17.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"May 17, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of links to recent space policy, politics, and government (US and international) related space news and resource items that I found of interest: NASA's Artemis return to the Moon program: NASA administrator on new Moon plan: \u2018We\u2019re doing this in a way that\u2019s never been done before\u2019 -\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Activism&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Activism","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&l=am2&o=1&a=1633885348","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18430,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18430","url_meta":{"origin":15374,"position":3},"title":"Space policy roundup &#8211; April.8.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"April 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of links to recent space policy, politics, and government\u00a0(US and international) related space news and resource items that I found of interest: Schedule: What\u2019s Happening in Space Policy April 7-13, 2019 \u2013 SpacePolicyOnline.com SLS\/Orion: Update: NASA's $17-billion moon rocket may be doomed before it ever gets to the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Activism&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Activism","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&l=am2&o=1&a=1944648453","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19018,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19018","url_meta":{"origin":15374,"position":4},"title":"Space policy roundup &#8211; June.14.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"June 14, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of links to recent space policy, politics, and government\u00a0(US and international) related space news and resource items that I found of interest: Lunar Gateway station: NASA's Human Spaceflight Priorities Are Wrong - Robert Zubrin\/National Review Is America\u2019s next big leap off earth just a \u2018moondoggle\u2019? - Politico NASA's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Space Policy&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Space Policy","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&l=am2&o=1&a=0999187120","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18399,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18399","url_meta":{"origin":15374,"position":5},"title":"Space policy roundup &#8211; April.4.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"April 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"WorldA sampling of links to recent space policy, politics, and government (US and international) related space news and resource items that I found of interest: NASA's Moon plans: NASA chief says a Falcon Heavy rocket could fly humans to the Moon | Ars Technica SpaceX's Falcon Heavy: \"It could help\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Activism&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Activism","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&l=am2&o=1&a=1610398297","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15374"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15383,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15374\/revisions\/15383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}