It’s been nearly four decades since the last time anyone has walked on the moon as Apollo 17 landed there Dec. 11, 1972 and returned to earth eight days later.
While China and India are planning lunar missions, three men and one woman from Oxford are involved with a non-profit global foundation with its sights on not only going to the moon, but doing it through private enterprise.
The Open Luna Foundation not only wants to return to the moon through private funds, but also use a series of manned missions to establish a six-to-10 person lunar outpost.
While the task might seem daunting and straight out of a science fiction novel, Oxford’s Paul Graham said it’s not only feasible, but also can be done for much less than imaginable.
In 2005, according to a report at Space.com, NASA briefed the White House on plans to put humans back on the moon by 2018 at a cost of about $100 billion.
Graham, Open Luna’s project manager, said this trip can be accomplished through private enterprise at a cost of $500 million–half a percent of NASA’s estimate. What’s more, the half a billion dollar price tag is a liberal estimate that includes contingency plans.
While Open Luna’s working budget may seems shoestring to some, Graham said people need to consider a few things about NASA’s budget.
‘Has NASA ever been known to do anything cheap?? he asked. ‘There’s absolutely zero culture of failure at NASA, but they test things to death and beyond. This isn’t the way private industry does things.?
An example Graham gives is how NASA spends millions of dollars doing computer simulations that, according to him, could be done just as cheaply in actual tests.
Open Luna’s lunar plan consists of five missions:
First–Delivering several small scout rovers in a single lander, which will ‘hop? around and deposit the rovers.
Second and Third–Collecting 50-100 kilograms (110-220 pounds) of samples and using a rover to indefinitely ‘prospect? and collect information. One landing would go to the moon’s south pole to search for water, Helium-3 (a very powerful but non-polluting fuel source in abundance on the moon while very rare on earth), a location suitable for a future location and outpost and for claiming land for this project.
This phase would also place at least one communications satellite into orbit around the moon. After the rock samples are studied at Western Ontario University, they would then be auctioned off with the proceeds being used to fund the next mission.
Fourth–As long as the site is sufficient and the tests and technology development are successful, this would be a manned mission with a person there testing technology and preparing the site for future construction. They would stay there ‘as long as safely feasible.?
At this time, there would be the ‘Development of licensed merchandise, mock and real space/surface suits, other things as they are thought of.?
Mission Five–Launching up to five astronauts, bringing shelter materials and building the outpost. If possible, a volunteer would be left at the surface. Reservations for the outpost would be allowed for both public and private industries.
Also, further plans include developing mining, ‘in-situ? life support and working to improve launch and landing capabilities.
Graham explained one way to keep costs low is through building rovers at lower costs. These less-expensive rovers won’t last for years, but with Open Luna’s plan, they won’t need to.
‘The most expensive one would be for $10,000,? Graham said. ‘We could load 15 of these rovers into one lander and keep one or two in reserve.?
By having rovers at a reduced cost, they could send more to reduce concerns about one failing.
Graham described the technology as ‘straightforward? and said the engineering is a matter of working on the details.
Other Oxford-area residents that work with Graham on Open Luna include Leonard’s Stan Wojes, who helps on occasion, Oxford’s Paul Bork and Chris Schwartz, who are working on the space suit component and Oxford’s Laura Traylor, who helps in promotions.
Bork described the space suits as having softer, more flexible joints in the middle of the suit at the waist, similar to heavy-duty skin-diving suits.
‘When people usually think of space suits they think of something that’s very hard with joints at the knees, hips and ankles,? he said.
Overall, the suit would be more flexible than those used by NASA, added Graham, noting that some suits offer hardly any waist flexibility.
Schwartz added the helmet looks to be part of one solid unit and would be connected to the backpack that houses the unit breathing apparatus, camera and inboard computer that takes care of the astronaut’s vitals. ‘We’re still working on the design,? he added.
Traylor posts information about Open Luna on websites and computer forums across the country to promote what they’re doing.
For Open Luna, financing along with marketing present its biggest challenges.
‘Getting people to believe it can be done is a big part of it,? Graham said. ‘This is directly related to financing. If everyone knew it could be done, financing could be fairly straightforward.?
Some question the benefits of returning to the moon with all the problems here on earth, but Graham believes people need to see the big picture.
‘When Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic Ocean, people considered it a one-shot deal that could never be done on the commercial market,? he said. ‘Some thought of it as a lark, a game for the very rich. Then, transatlantic flight became a reality and now it’s routine.?
Graham sees a return to the moon as a way to inspire children to become engineers and enter space vocations; he also considers a moon mission as the door to space-based operations of mining rare metals (such as gallium and iridium) that are needed in high-tech electronics.
‘The moon could be used as a testing ground for this technology,? he said, adding that eventually, asteroids could be mined to obtain these and other metals and minerals.
‘It’s very difficult to ascertain the importance of going to the moon,? Bork said. ‘When [Christopher] Columbus went to the New World, it wasn’t important in Europe. But when you look back, you can see the incredible importance. I think going to the moon will open up the rest of space.?
‘I really like this company and believe in it and want to help Paul out any way I can,? Traylor added. ‘I think it’s a very real possibility.?
For more information about Open Luna visit www.openluna.org.