NASA is fleshing out details of launch vehicles, robotic and human exploration systems that can enable a sustained back to the Moon effort, including possible establishment of an Antarctic-like lunar outpost. "The first step to Mars and beyond is getting back to the Moon," said Scott Horowitz, NASA Associate Administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at the Space Technology & Applications International Forum (STAIF) held here this week.Horowitz outlined aspects of the space agency’s Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS), noting that a new study is underway on what future astronauts can carry out once replanted on the Moon. NASA is on course to pick a single industrial developer in August of the Crew Exploration Vehicle—a spacecraft slightly larger than that used in the Apollo program to haul astronauts to the Moon in the 1960s to the early 1970s, Horowitz said. Progress is being made too on designing a Crew Launch Vehicle, Horowitz reported, as well as a mega-cargo carrier that has the growth potential to toss over 300,000 pounds into low Earth orbit—more than the Saturn 5 booster utilized in the Apollo Moon program. The two launchers are both borrowing heavily from solid rocket booster and external tank work honed within the space shuttle program. The shuttle is due to be retired in 2010. Also on tap for use in the two launchers is incorporating a Saturn 5-era J-2 upper stage engine—a motor capable of being started in flight and restarted anytime, Horowitz explained.

Horowitz said that conceptual looks at a four-person lunar lander have been done. Those initial studies of the vehicle show that it must be far more capable than the two-person Apollo lunar lander. For one, he said, a 21st century Moon lander must permit crews to put down anywhere on the lunar surface—and that means hauling lots of fuel in lots of tanks. "The goal is four people at up to 7 days a shot," Horowitz said. An airlock on the lunar lander would permit ease of access to and from the lunar surface, he said.The lunar dust "is a real problem"…"one of the big issues that we have to deal with," Horowitz advised. Spacesuits used on Apollo were pretty much trashed within a few days, he said, as tiny, razor-sharp dust particles jammed suit joints.

View: Full Article | Source: Space.com

So it looks like the space race is on again to the moon, this might be due to the fact that Russia is wanting to mine the moon. As I have stated on the forum "Russia plans mine on the moon", whoever has a manned base on the moon will have the control. There would be great economical and political power to be gained by any country that can exploit the untapped resources that are abundant on the moon. This is the main reason why NASA has accelerated their return to the moon, it all comes down to greed and control. I find it strange that one minute NASA is broke and as soon as someone like russia puts in a plan that will go against the NASA plan, the money pours in.

Wow, it's actually starting to look like something is being done. It's no longer talk,talk,talk... Action!

About time... About time , is all I can say.

China, Russia, Usa...
The space race is on!

The Ruskies will have too much vodka on board to pilot the craft. and The Chinese will be hungry every 30 minutes (chinese food is not very filling).

but america is good at racing! were NASCAR is space baby! BRING IT ON!



Just joking.

I wonder if it will be a fair race. Will they all leave at the same time?

If I know the us, thay will probably go to war with the Japs, so they can't lunch

to my knowledge.... the Japanese dont have a space program.

Japan do have their own space program it is called JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

There is a substantial amount of helium 3 on the moon....


http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/helium3_000630.html

Enough to turn a profit from setting up operations.

Any thoughts?

It would be fair if they all worked together