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Details to Emerge of Secretive, Private Mission to Send Man Back to the Moon

Dec. 4, 2012 11:33am
The Golden Spike Company to Host Press Announcement Thursday Regarding Human Space Travel to the Moon

The Apollo 11 lunar module rises from the moon’s surface for docking with the command module and the trip back to earth, July 20, 1969. Manned missions to the moon could be planned for as early as 2020. (Photo: AP/NASA)

Just as NASA said last month manned moon missions might not be out of the question in the near future, private entities appear to be moving forward with the venture as well. In fact, a rather secretive mission rumored recently might be coming to light more this week.

The Golden Spike Company, according to Wired, is hosting a press event in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 6 that it says will reveal a “game-changing announcement about the future of commercial human space travel to the Moon.”

The event is expected to detail the team, the mission architecture, and the business model.

The forum on NASASpaceFlight.com a few weeks ago hinted an announcement (via Parabolic Arc) would be coming in early December that would involve a goal of sending humans to the moon by 2020. According to the post, “existing or soon to be existing launch vehicles, spacecraft, upper stages, and technologies” would be used. The post says that these details “point to the specific use of U.S. vehicles.”

Here’s a little background on the company from Wired:

The Golden Spike Company is registered in Colorado to planetary scientist and aerospace engineer Alan Stern, who ran NASA’s science directorate from 2007 to 2008. Stern also worked in the private spaceflight sector that year, as an independent research representative for Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. In a 2011 interview he said, “I hope that in 10 to 20 years’ time, we are on the hills of human return to the moon, so that we could then go on with humans to explore the solar system. I think this is our destiny.”

Wired also noted that ahead of the announcement, Golden Spike began becoming more involved on its Facebook page and established a Twitter account.

The only thing that the National Press Club calendar announcement says of the event is that it’s a company debut.

For now we’ll wait and see what this company has in store for sending man back to the moon.

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Comments (64)

  • Gold Coin & Economic News
    Posted on December 5, 2012 at 3:38pm

    Interesting, I wonder if it will ever happen? Maybe they will make bigger discoveries that what the Mars rover did recently that was announced on Monday:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBZvTFPgKjI

    Report this comment

    Gold Coin & Economic News  
  • TGS
    Posted on December 5, 2012 at 9:20am

    Interesting fact: TGS stands for The Golden Spike. It’s a wrestling reference, but now I might register that website name.

    Report this comment

    TGS  
    • Bloody Sam
      Posted on December 5, 2012 at 10:52am

      Hah! ….”a wrestling reference.” Get real.

      The Golden Spike is a reference to the ceremonial final spike driven by Leland Stanford to join the rails of the First Transcontinental Railroad across the United States connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory.

      Did you even pass history class in High School? Step away from the TV brother.

      Bloody Sam  
    • TGS
      Posted on December 6, 2012 at 9:12am

      D’oh! Really sorry, Bloody Sam, accidentally hit report on your post, instead of reply to mine.

      Of course I know what the golden spike was, in terms of US history – “Promontory Point” has even been my location on some forums. I meant that my screenname is a reference to the wrestler Kevin Sullivan.

      Report this comment

      TGS  
  • Bohump
    Posted on December 5, 2012 at 9:08am

    Going back to the MOON ? ….. What for ? … Type in ” Dark mission ” and Read.

    Report this comment

    Bohump  
  • Bohump
    Posted on December 5, 2012 at 9:02am

    Type in

    Report this comment

    Bohump  
  • TROONORTH
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 8:16pm

    Remember all those short haired guys with glasses, pocket protectors and narrow ties standing around mission control in 1969? Those guys had grit. They didn’t follow in the foot prints of giants, they made them. It was that grit and their drive, determination and ingenuity that put America on the moon.

    These guys at ‘Golden Spike’ have that grit. It is about time that America stepped up to the plate and showed the rest of the planet that the dream is indeed not dead; that America is still capable of great things; that the industrial engine that drove thApollolo project can once again rise to the challenge.

    God’s speed ‘Golden Spike’

    Report this comment

    TROONORTH  
  • SquareHead
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 8:08pm

    Why do some post take hours to be posted? Is it the thought police that are trying to suppress post that you don’t like. I thought that after the election this would stop! :(

    Report this comment

    SquareHead  
  • sbs21078
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 7:49pm

    From what I have been hearing is that Virgin Galactic is real close to taking rides into space and possibly using the Astronaut Wings that you will receive for the 50+ Mile High Club and Flight & Weightless experience gained and Schooling required for all kinds of NASA type jobs. It’s all supposed to be kicking in soon! The new Commercial Space Federation will be looking for all kinds of people.

    Report this comment

    sbs21078  
  • Advection
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 7:13pm

    Tax the Moon!

    Report this comment

    Advection  
    • TeslanEdison
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 8:37pm

      Those Moonites don’t have the same worries as the rest of us Earthlings, Terrans… they should be taxed more for not breathing our air and not being governed effectively by the UN. How exactly does the UN intend to put sanctions on Moon colonists? If they are not chip carriers then they cannot be affected by the food and financial controls, and the corporations buy all the goods they need but operate out of pacific islands that are not under UN dominion. Oh snap so the new American Fronteer is the moon, the only place you can be free from the UN, and some gravity. So some facts nobody can regulate the moon because whoever is established there first will see it coming from way off, be it space enforcement or a missile the new place to be free from tyrannical environmentalist, globalists, communists and human monsters is the moon. Not to mention the protection against all the viruses that crisscross the earth. What are the environmentalists going to say about this one, barren places need to be preserved barren for the future? You cannot disturb the fragile eco…wait there is not ecosystem um fragile dust… from Neil Armstrong types, only the boots of preservationists can be left on the moon for billions of years. Only atheistic environmentalists deserve to be in evidence forever, not God fearing Astronauts. I know I bet this happens, the UN declares the moon a Global shrine to human kind and forbids all travel and habitation there as it would not be fair to the rest.

      Report this comment

      TeslanEdison  
  • Itsallpoopjuice
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 6:39pm

    @ Squarehead spongepants , I hope they do take the Disney flag and put it next to the U.S. flag.Also
    Ron Paul is great but he’s not JESUS. Love your nieghbor as you love yourself (hate in your case). I
    went to public and private schools both, growing up and will pray for you. Someday the scales will fall
    from your eyes.

    Report this comment

    Itsallpoopjuice  
  • Spidertroll
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 6:15pm

    I would rather cruise the skies with little to no hope of finding another habitable planet than be a slave; it seems more and more that to actually be free we must take to space, as we once took to the sea. America may be in the past tense, but the future holds a possible infinite space filled with freedom.
    Launches from the moon would consume far less fuel, I have been advocating for years the building of a shipyard in space through which we could build much larger and safer vessels that could reach far greater distances, the moon is a possible starting point for these types of constructions.
    I miss the days when we as earthlings wanted to boldy go where no man has gone before into the final frontier. To qualify my tv nerdism: OS is still the best. Live long and prosper.

    Report this comment

    Spidertroll  
    • Hickory
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 6:40pm

      I too miss those days. As a young engineer, I enjoyed working on the Apollo program.

      Report this comment

      Hickory  
  • Royalkin
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 5:51pm

    As an avid space nut, this news is interesting, but hardly exciting. Lots of the companies have been sprouting up lately, but until one of them has the vehicle(s) and crew on the pad, ready to launch, I’m not holding my breath.

    Also, don’t rule out government instituting a deeply penalizing tax on Helium 3. “We’ve already ruined the Earth, leave the Moon alone!”

    Report this comment

    Royalkin  
  • lfoa
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 4:33pm

    The moon’s surface contains an element H3 (Helium 3)… BING IT to find out more detail….
    The element is not found naturally on earth…
    There is a lab proven energy generation process that could use this H3 (similar to nuclear FUSSION)
    and just ONE tracker trailer size container of this could supply ALL earth energy needs for something like a YEAR…..
    Go get it BOYS! God Speed!

    Report this comment

    lfoa  
    • Afungi
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 5:03pm

      H3 would be hydrogen in a 3 atom molecule, H2 very common in the universe. Can be easily made here on earth. Helium would be He3 that dose not exsist anywhere. He2 inert gas, byproduct from natural gas wells. Unable to find information you wrote about.

      Report this comment

      Afungi  
    • SquareHead
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 5:20pm

      Yeah, and while they are there they can bring the flag from the Disney studio, and put it on the actual moon! Good luck pulling that off:)

      For those of you that grew up on TV and went to public school:

      WE NEVER WENT TO THE MOON!

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6MvcIs4OcQ&list=PL7219911842803520&index=4&feature=plpp_video

      Time to wake up…

      Report this comment

      SquareHead  
    • The Third Archon
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 5:39pm

      SOMEONE took Iron Sky a little too seriously.

      In unrelated news, every time I hear about missions to the moon it ****** me off because it reminds me our government gutted our space program.

      Report this comment

      The Third Archon  
    • US-First
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 5:57pm

      Seriously? You are the person responsible for leading the stupid masses to voting for Obama.

      H3, well actually 3H is tritium. It is a radioactive isotope of Hydrogen. You are correct that naturally occurring tritium is extremely rare on earth. Most of what we got/get comes from nuclear reactors by neutron activation of lithium-6. The last tritium producing reactor in the US was shut down in 1988. The process resumed in 2005 to replace tritium in depleted DOD nuclear weapons. So much of what we produce goes into our nuclear weapons program. Most of the rest is used in biological sciences as a tracer isotope in many organic compounds.

      Fusion reactors (if they ever become practical) might also require significant quantities of tritium, however current theory is that the fusion reactor would breed its own tritium using the same lithium-6 process as in fission reactors. A byproduct would be Helium which is also naturally rare on earth. If you actually meant He, doubtful much exists on the moon since the moon hasn’t the mass or the atmosphere to hold it. But if the moon has thorium and uranium then it has the radioactive precursors which decay into He and then the Moon just watches it slip into space.

      Report this comment

      US-First  
    • Wolfgang the Gray
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 6:03pm

      Squarehead – You obviously are one of those Capricorn One followers. No doubt the earth is really flat and is at the center of the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe.

      I applaud commercial attempts to get us back to the moon. Our government is in decline economically & I doubt they will be doing much anymore. Obama doesn’t think this country is exceptional & Holder thinks we are all cowards. We need to prove them both wrong & get back to the moon on our own, without BIG GOVERNMENT!

      Report this comment

      Wolfgang the Gray  
    • gdzgahdc
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 8:44pm

      H3 is real. Type “Helium 3″ in Google.

      Squarehead: You said “We never went to the moon”. I don’t know what planet you come from, but us Earthlings went to the moon in the year 1969. Let me guess, 9/11 was an inside job too, right?

      US-FIRST: You are wrong buddy. LFOA isn’t talking about 3H, he said H3. So before you try and lecture us about Chemistry, maybe you should get educated first?

      “Helium-3 (He3) is gas that has the potential to be used as a fuel in future nuclear fusion power plants. There is very little helium-3 available on the Earth. However, there are thought to be significant supplies on the Moon. Several governments have subsequently signalled their intention to go to the Moon to mine helium-3 as a fuel supply. Such plans may come to fruition within the next two to three decades and trigger a new Space Race.”

      Report this comment

      gdzgahdc  
    • asybot12
      Posted on December 5, 2012 at 4:06am

      @ the third archon (where are #1 + #2 ?) that is the first ever comment you have made I agree on. See I am fair and balanced!

      Report this comment

      asybot12  
    • SquareHead
      Posted on December 5, 2012 at 1:18pm

      Fear is great among the TV generation that grew up on Disney. That are afraid that they are wrong.

      One thing I know about all of you that think a person that don’t believe we did not go to the moon. That is that you never watched the following films about the moon hoax.
      I dare you to watch them. If you could disprove the movies I am sure that NASA would hire you, as they have neglected to answer the countless problems with their claims and the films they showed us.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdMvQTNLaUE&feature=BFa&list=PL7219911842803520

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ciStUEZK-Y&feature=BFa&list=PL7219911842803520
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBL98p0wZ7g&feature=BFa&list=PL7219911842803520
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fDybPDtsrY&feature=BFa&list=PL7219911842803520
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo5w0pm24ic&feature=BFa&list=PL7219911842803520
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MalYSn_qIU4&feature=BFa&list=PL7219911842803520

      Report this comment

      SquareHead  
  • GuruMeditation
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 3:51pm

    Zero desire here.

    Report this comment

    GuruMeditation  
  • VRW Conspirator
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 3:03pm

    I SO volunteer to be in the first crew…once they get it safe and not exploding anyway….I have a Theoretical Physics degree and would LOVE to get into space….come on…Alan…hook me up buddy… you can even hire me now and I will help you out with it….just guarantee me one of those seats…and we have got a deal….

    Report this comment

    VRW Conspirator  
    • OniKaze
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 3:29pm

      I admire you willingness to go there, but WHY would you want to? We know what is on the moon… A whole lot of nothing…. The same reason why our country stopped going there as a whole.. Its a giant rock with a great view of the earth… Other than that, isn’t kinda worthless to go there?

      Maybe I am missing something (and if I am, I apologize), but I am not sure we will need to go there again until there is a realistic proposal for lunar colonization (which I believe is WAY off…).

      Report this comment

      OniKaze  
    • WarMunger_Al
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 8:12pm

      Oni-
      we don’t know whats inside the moon. Lots of possible ore and other fun stuff to find, maybe even find the lair of the Amazon women.

      Report this comment

      WarMunger_Al  
    • asybot12
      Posted on December 5, 2012 at 4:04am

      @ warmunger: with the smaller force of gravity how big would those Amazon ladies be? LOL

      Report this comment

      asybot12  
  • tharpdevenport
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 2:39pm

    So, to all those moon conspiracists: Does this mean they’ll be faking trip, after trip, after trip, and that all paying customers are liars? And if YOU pay t go up there, and see the flag, and tell you friends, does that make you part of e conspiracy?

    This was made possible, of course, by the military refusing to allow the government to blow up the moon.

    Report this comment

    tharpdevenport  
    • WarMunger_Al
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 8:08pm

      If you go up there and actually find the flag…All you have to ask yourself is, “would the government lie to me?”

      Crazy how america goes from blowing up every rocket attempt to landing a pod made of tin foil on the moon in such a short period….and then miraculously, they never go back, they learned everything there is to know about the moon on those few missions. No other country has done it either, even the Russians, who’s space program was far more advanced than ours…..You don’t find any of that a little suspicious?

      Report this comment

      WarMunger_Al  
    • tharpdevenport
      Posted on December 5, 2012 at 10:16am

      Nope.

      There are political ad budgital issues from each presidency that accounts for ll that, plus while there ma be minor things to learn still from the Moon, the cost to get there outweighs that. There’s things to learn from each planet, including Mars; how many missions to Mars on the taxpayer’s dime, do we need?

      Sometimes a penny isn’t secretive plan to get everybody’s DNA and fingersprints, but rather: Just a penny.

      If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

      Report this comment

      tharpdevenport  
  • dont-care-anymore
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 1:32pm

    ya think they still haved the keys to the studio in which the last moon shot was filmed ???

    Report this comment

    dont-care-anymore  
  • ArmedAndReallyPissed
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 12:35pm

    Can we just send all the Politicians there and call her good ?

    Report this comment

    ArmedAndReallyPissed  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 12:21pm

    .
    Zoom, Pow! So Ralph’s finally gonna hit Alice?…..

    Report this comment

    SpankDaMonkey  
  • term limits for congress
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 12:01pm

    They didn’t build that. Can you imagine the red tape this company will face? They’ll have to have TSA to scan the astronauts for fingernail clippers. They’ll need union pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers, and maintenance crews. There will be an earth departure tax and a moon landing tax. Then, an atmosphere re-entry fee. They will need a port authority office and customs office to screen the returning passengers. There will be a CO2 emissions tax and a noise pollution tax. No rocket launches before 9am or after 5pm. Crew members not allowed to work more than 8 hours per day.

    Report this comment

    term limits for congress  
    • DTR
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 12:17pm

      Don’t forget the rocket fuel tax!

      Report this comment

      DTR  
    • SimpleTruths
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 12:26pm

      You are A-One Prime example of why your side will keep losing. Say good-bye to the House in 2014.

      Report this comment

      SimpleTruths  
    • WarMunger_Al
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 1:21pm

      simple-
      they will keep losing because zombies spread like a disease. Liberalism is the disease most foul, it ruins everything it touches.

      Report this comment

      WarMunger_Al  
  • chips1
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 12:00pm

    WOW!!!! Someone figured out what to do with Leo Terrell.

    Report this comment

    chips1  
  • Gary_K
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 11:50am

    Has TheBlaze forgot about Benghazi ?

    Report this comment

    Gary_K  
    • Cavallo
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 12:09pm

      Yup. Men murdered who will never receive justice. Lighting a candle (literally or metaphorically) is about the only thing we can do.

      Report this comment

      Cavallo  
    • thegreatcarnac
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 12:34pm

      The administration’s view is that they were just 4 white guys……no big loss. Now…if they had been 4 black guys the Al Qaeda gunmen would have been declared raaaaaaacist and the whole government would have been after them.

      Report this comment

      thegreatcarnac  
    • Mandors
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 12:39pm

      It won’t have to. Benghazi Round Two, the one where Barry okays setting off chemical weapons and false flag blaming Assad, is coming real soon. That’s why Stephen’s was killed.

      Report this comment

      Mandors  
  • qpwillie
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 11:50am

    We should send Obama. No need to waste money on a return trip.

    Report this comment

    qpwillie  
    • SocialistSlayer
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 12:46pm

      Yeah just tell him and Moochelle it is a Taxpayer funded Vacation ! They will gladly go !

      Report this comment

      SocialistSlayer  
    • Reality_Bites_You_on_the_Ass
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 3:00pm

      SocialistSlayer, you obviously are not aware that President Obama has taken fewer vacation days than most recent presidents. As of August, Obama had taken about 60 days on vacation. The man who took the fewest was Bill Clinton at 28 vacation days. Reagan spent over 400 days on vacation however the it is George W Bush who holds the record. He spent about 1020 days on vacation. That is 1/3 of his presidency – more than any other president in history. I sure do not remember any outrage from the right about that.

      Report this comment

      Reality_Bites_You_on_the_Ass  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 6:33pm

      Tabulate the costs of the vacations. Obamunist and Moochelle have no equal.

      Report this comment

      Twobyfour  
  • biohazard23
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 11:43am

    The moon landing never happened. Michael Stipe said so.

    Report this comment

     
  • DZ-015
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 11:40am

    With components being assembled in low earth orbit, this may actually be feasible as a private venture.

    Report this comment

    DZ-015  
    • SimpleTruths
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 12:43pm

      I’m sorry, that was an intelligent comment, only snark, slander and defeatism are allowed on here.

      Report this comment

      SimpleTruths  
  • RightUnite
    Posted on December 4, 2012 at 11:40am

    Oh brother! Like we have that kind of disposable income to be doing this crap! Seriously?? Jeeeez!

    Report this comment

    RightUnite  
    • Cavallo
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 11:53am

      Might as well do it now while everyone still thinks our money is worth something. Sooner or later some kid will point out that we don’t have any clothes on and then we won’t be able to buy spit.

      Report this comment

      Cavallo  
    • Mudd
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 11:59am

      The story says it’s a private venture so it isn’t costing “us” anything. It’s all on the company and it’s investors, provided we still have a free market and people who can afford to participate in it in ten to twenty years.

      Report this comment

      Mudd  
    • Dexter Alarius
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 12:01pm

      Did you miss the part where it said this is a private company doing this?

      Report this comment

      Dexter Alarius  
    • PathDan
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 2:25pm

      In some peoples eyes, there is no difference between private and public anymore…

      Report this comment

      PathDan  
    • Mudd
      Posted on December 4, 2012 at 4:40pm

      Your right, Pathdan, sad but true.

      Report this comment

      Mudd  

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