Main Engine Cut OffUS and Russia: Back to the Moon Together?
American aerospace companies such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin, as well as Russia’s key manned space contractors RKK Energia and GKNPTs Khrunichev, pitched in on a new plan to work together. Several mission strategies have recently surfaced that focus on a multinational habitat in the vicinity of the Moon, known as cislunar space. It could serve as a platform for the exploration of our natural satellite and a springboard for missions to asteroids and even to Mars.
To me, Mars is where all the interesting discoveries live and our future awaits, but lunar missions are much better suited for a governmental space program—or at least for a governmental space program that is run like NASA has been run for decades.
As I said way back on the second episode of the podcast, lunar missions in collaboration with Russia (and ESA, and others…) would be a good way to use that big ol’ rocket we’ve been building.
Either way, the path to Mars does not include the Moon. If you want to go to Mars, go to Mars!