Moon Express Gets FAA Approval For Lunar Mission In 2017 (networkworld.com) 55
coondoggie quotes a report from Network World: The Federal Aviation Administration this week granted permission to a privately-held space firm to launch a robotic spacecraft to the moon. Moon Express expects to launch its MX-1 spacecraft on a two-week mission to the lunar surface in 2017. The MX-1, which is about as large as a suitcase will include instruments and a camera to explore the moon's surface. Moon Express has a contract with Rocket Lab USA for 3 lunar missions between 2017 and 2020. They are the first private company to receive permission to go to the moon. "Moon Express applauds efforts underway by the U.S. Congress and Executive Branch to establish a permanent regulatory framework to authorize commercial activities beyond Earth orbit," said Moon Express cofounder and CEO Bob Richards. "Our 'Mission Approval' process is an interim arrangement that can be implemented quickly enough for our 2017 launch requirements, allowing us to continue to execute on our business plans under U.S. law while ensuring our activities are consistent with U.S. obligations under the Outer Space Treaty."
Re: Power to them (Score:4, Informative)
My god were you actually drunk when you wrote that.. Or just that stupid? Quite impressive really.
Anyway.. Just dropped by to point out.. Rocket lab USA is actually a New Zealand company using a launch system developed in New Zealand.
It's not just hobbits down there..
Re: Power to them (Score:5, Funny)
However, unlike the rockets in most parts of the world, their rockets are flightless, and the engines are vestigial.
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Re: Power to them (Score:4, Informative)
Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty deals with international responsibility, stating that "the activities of non-governmental 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" and that States Parties shall bear international responsibility for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities.
? (As per Wikipedia...)
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Re: Power to them (Score:4, Informative)
According to their site they are a US company with a NZ subsidiary.
https://rocketlabusa.com/about... [rocketlabusa.com]
So would likely need US approval.. just sayin..
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"Moon Express"? (Score:3)
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Yeah, I would have crowdfunded Planet Express up to and including $300 and invited them to shut up while I did it.
I assume Fox would have cease-and-desisted that name, tho.
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They were going to use 'Planet Express', but the IAU and Neil DeGrasse Tyson found that their missions didn't meet the definition of planetary missions, so they had to change.
They briefly considered 'Dwarf Express', but realized that that would be terrible, so they settled on 'Moon Express'. 'Lunar Express' would have been better.
I hope they name their probes 'Zoidberg' and 'Farnsworth'.
Moon Billboard! (Score:2)
Finally the plan in the old belgian comic (Z Comme Zorglub) becomes reality . The villain paints the moon into a giant billboard for Coca Cola ( http://www.spirouworld.com/zor... [spirouworld.com] )
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There was a schoolyard joke in Finland in the 80s.
Soviets wanted to brag. They went to Moon and painted it red (because of communism).
Americans went afterwards, and wrote white text over it: "Coca-Cola"
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That sounds like it was inspired by the comic in some way. It was rather famous in the sixties.
One a more serious note it does seem plausible that companies will want to use the moon to do something 'visible' but otherwise useless for PR purposes.
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You're right. Much better reason.
permission to go to the moon? (Score:2, Informative)
The Outer Space Treaty states that outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means. The Treaty establishes the exploration and use of outer space as the "province of all mankind."
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This.
Since when does the United States have jurisdiction over the Moon?
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The US has jurisdiction on the ground the company plans to launch from and the airspace that they plan to fly through. You think that they don't need any approvals simply because of where their destination is?
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The US has jurisdiction on the ground the company plans to launch from and the airspace that they plan to fly through.
The US has jurisdiction over New Zealand?
The FAA has jurisdiction over Moon Express because they are an American company. Rocket Lab who are launching the rocket are based in New Zealand (registered in the US but based in New Zealand) hence the large silver fern and NZ on the rocket and a launch site in New Zealand.
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Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty requires, in relevant part, that “The activities of non-governmental 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.”
So Americans require American government clearance, the British would need British government clearance etc.
I agree the confusing wording makes it look like the US has assumed authority over the moon.
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In an interesting twist - this has, on occasion, created islands that fall within the ocean borders of more than one country leading to some terrible sovereignty disputes. There's one on-going between Canada and Denmark for decades now where the dispute largely consists of them taking turns to send some sailors to the island to plant a flag... and leave a bottle of booze for the next lot who has to come to that barren rock to plant a meaningless flag in the middle of the arctic ocean.
https://en.wikipedia.or [wikipedia.org]
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"The Treaty establishes the exploration and use of outer space as the "province of all mankind.":
Yep, lets hope the aliens don't find out about that 'treaty', and come and destroy us for our impudence
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Doing things for the ultimate purpose of improving man's knowledge or skills or whatever brings to me a sense of delight, but doing something with the ultimate purpose of increasing someone's bank account seems so primitive that I just don't give a fuck.
So, you live off the land, have no job, and pedal a bicycle around for transportation?
Damn near everything we do or engage in ends up "increasing someone's bank account". Working, buying food, gas...hell, even the very medium we are communicating on right now is lining some ISPs pockets, along with the manufacturer of your computer, wireless router, cable modem, A/C unit, drywall maker, clothing, furniture...
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Saying he isn't inspired by something is not the same as saying he refuses to participate. It's just the difference between participating out of need and participating out of joy.
He has a point as well - imagine if big pharma today was mostly run by CEO's with the same attitudes as Jonas Salk: "screw patents, screw profits, I make a nice middle class salary as a professor - I'll just give my vaccine away so I can save more lives sooner". Imagine if anti-retrovirals were never patented, always sold at cost -
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Saying he isn't inspired by something is not the same as saying he refuses to participate. It's just the difference between participating out of need and participating out of joy.
He has a point as well - imagine if big pharma today was mostly run by CEO's with the same attitudes as Jonas Salk: "screw patents, screw profits, I make a nice middle class salary as a professor - I'll just give my vaccine away so I can save more lives sooner". Imagine if anti-retrovirals were never patented, always sold at cost - how many millions of lives could we save ?
If Big Pharma chose to sell damn near everything at cost or give it away, ever wonder how many millions of lives would be affected by a lack of employment, along with an economy not being fueled by that spending?
Funny thing about profits...tends to create jobs, bankroll paychecks, and feed the economy.
And in order for your world to exist, Big Pharma would have to obtain damn near ALL R&D funding from the government, because they would be turning NO profits of their own. Would our country be doing bett
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I wasn't saying that WAS the answer - I was just pointing out that the current system HAS killed millions of people needlessly, not speculatively as your numbers - actual corpses.
Oh -and there is absolutely ZERO reason why such a scheme would lead to job-losses, since cost includes wages, nobody said they should sell it at a loss.
I wasn't arguing what the best type of reform would be - just contrasting the success of the non-profit motive drug with the very profit motive drug in terms of lives saved.
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They're launching a what? (Score:1)
Possible explanation why FAA approval needed (Score:2)
commercial activities? (Score:1)
FAA approval? (Score:2)
I'm presuming this is only necessary because they intend to launch from the US? I mean its not like the US have declared they control the moon or something right?
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I'm presuming this is only necessary because they intend to launch from the US?
Nope. New Zealand. I assume they also have to get permission to launch their rocket through the New Zealand CAA.
I mean its not like the US have declared they control the moon or something right?
Sort of. The US controls what US Citizens / Organizations do in outer space, in accordance with the Outer Space Treaty. I assume they do this through the FAA (you'd think it'd be NASA). If they were a French company, they would have to go to some organization within the French government. But because they're an American company, they need to get permission from the FAA to go to the Moon.
Why?
One one condition.. (Score:2)
".... beyond earth's orbit"??? (Score:2)
Huh?
Did I miss some major news bulletin or something? When did our moon escape the Earth's orbit?