This Executive Summary provides a concise summary of the challenges and potential solutions toward having a viable commercial facility on the Moon. The work of the Lunar Economic Action Plan (LEAP) of the Institute has come to the conclusion that a private settlement on the Moon is surprisingly feasible and even cost effective, offering the best [...]
On September 7, 2017, Bretton Alexander, the Director, Business Development & Strategy at Blue Origin, testified before the House Subcommittee on Space during its Hearing on Private Sector Lunar Exploration. Mr. Alexander's testimony covered his company's concepts for lunar exploration, including the Blue Moon lander. The testimony also detailed legislative considerations that could aid this [...]
So, we want to go to the Moon. Why? Because the Moon is an ideal “staging post” for us to accumulate materials and manpower outside of the Earth’s deep gravitational well. From the Moon we can send missions into deep space and ferry colonists to Mars. Tourists may also be interested in a short visit. [...]
In keeping with the spirit of the Lunar Economic Action Plan, and the history of lunar exploration that precedes it,the IISC is bringing you Project Horizon by the United States Army. This was a secret program that was declassified after the end of the Cold War. From the introduction" There is a requirement for a [...]
Some may recall the quarantine endured by the crew of Apollo 11 upon their return from the Moon, but do they also remember the official declaration forms and quarantine that the crew had to sign upon their return from the Moon at the Honolulu airport? The cargo they declared, alongside their quarantine, was undoubtedly a [...]
This paper describes an architecture that extends human reach beyond low Earth orbit by creating a permanent space transportation system with reusable and refuelable vehicles. Such a system is made possible by establishing an outpost on the Moon that harvests water and produces rocket propellant from the ice deposits of the permanently dark areas near [...]
When NASA flew the first men to the Moon between 1969 and 1972 it was for footprints and flags. Despite the continued fixation on Mars, there seems little doubt the Moon will be NASA’s next logical leap beyond low Earth orbit and, as the clock ticks on the termination of the International Space Station, [...]
Funding and operating a successful economic private settlement on the Moon will require an overarching community development strategy, followed by scientific / technological work, pioneering drive, and a resilient commercialization plan. Historically, this set of activities has not been carried out sequentially, but all the elements are necessary to achieve a profitable private settlement [...]
Telecommunications has played a significant role in the development and advancement of mankind and is one of the key enabling capabilities that has fuelled the rate and pace of growth. Telecommunications is deemed to be a critical infrastructure with a significant social, cultural and economic impact on society, in fact a stark contrast can be [...]
What is a lunar colony but a real estate development? And when discussing real estate, we must look at the prime criteria: Location, Location, Location! In this presentation brief, Hoyt Davidson lists and discussed the strengths of seven potential sites for a commercial lunar base, given the industries that would benefit from those sites. The [...]