Dear NASA, may I please land a robot on the
Moon?
Your friend, Moon Express.
A company called Moon Express has overcome
one of the toughest challenges of getting
a privately owned spacecraft to the Moon.
They received permission from the US government.
In 1967, the United Nations ratified a treaty
that placed restrictions on how countries
can make use of outer space.
For example, the treaty said no nation has
legal claim to any celestial body.
So you can’t pop on over to Saturn and claim
it for Spain.
Lo siento.
But the Outer Space Treaty focused on governments,
not private companies.
Back in the 60s, a private space industry
wasn’t really possible.
Today it’s a different story.
We have private companies delivering people,
cargo and satellites to space.
It was only a matter of time before a company
explored the possibility of going to the Moon.
In 2007, Google really got things moving by
offering a 20 million dollar cash prize to
the first privately funded mission to land
a rover on the Moon, drive it at least 500
meters on the surface and send videos back
to Earth.
Moon Express is one of the competitors in
that race.
But how can a government grant permission?
The Outer Space Treaty offers a little guidance.
It says “The activities of nongovernmental
entities in outer space, including the moon
and other celestial bodies, shall require
authorization and continuing supervision by
the appropriate state party to the treaty.”
The United States doesn’t have a Department
of Lunar Operations.
There appeared to be a regulatory void, which
as we all know can exert a pull so powerful
that black holes are envious.
Moon Express submitted its request to the
Federal Aviation Administration.
Did you know the FAA doesn’t just oversee
commercial air travel, but also rocket launches?
It does!
And in 2015, the FAA stepped up to the plate
to act as the regulatory agency in charge
of making sure private companies in the US
play fair, you know, up there.
The FAA’s response to Moon Express’s request
was basically “Yeah,
we don’t have a problem with that.”
Presumably, Moon Express will have to work
closely with NASA and maintain transparency
to satisfy the requirements of the Outer Space
Treaty.
But this clears the way for private missions
to the Moon, and also to that cool 20 million
bucks from Google!
Will Moon Express win in the end, or will
another team claim first prize?
I can’t wait to find out!
Okay, lunatics, that’s all I’ve got today.
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