Golden Spike estimates that they could repeat Apollo manned mission to the moon for $6.4 billion

Next Big Future ^ | January 6, 2014 | Brian Wang

[jmcenanly]

Golden Spike has detailed plans for a lunar return using existing assets. The recent successful Spacex flights are improving the viability of Golden Spike and its plans to return to the moon before 2020.

Golden Spike estimates that they could repeat Apollo 11 for about $6.4 billion and make repeated manned trips to the moon for about $1.5 billion for each trip. Here are the budgets of different space agencies.

[jmcenanly]

They probably have a better chance of succeeding than any government program for the simple reason that there would be less problems with people toward the top trying to interfere for political reasons.

[Boogieman]

As long as they’re not wasting my money, more power to them.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

I am all for this if they can take Pelosi with them and dump her there, bang zoom!

[plain talk]

Well I am all in favor of liberals traveling to the moon via transport provided by the lowest bidder. :-). I wish them well. Some competition to NASA can’t hurt.

[Regulator]

Musk will get there on his own without Jim French and Taber McCallum, although McCallum is curently one of his subcontractors.

[Psalm 73]

Would like to see the spread sheet for estimating 6.4 billion dollars in goods and services!

[Truth29]

I fear we, government or private, are being left in the dust. The Chinese just soft landed a rover on the moon. They have plans for a manned mission in the next few years. By the time we get back, we can probably arrange a visit to a Chinese moon base.

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3105181/posts?page=67#67