Moon Express has raised enough money for its first mission

>In order to make its dream possible, Moon Express is working with launch provider Rocket Lab USA, and plans to use its Electron rocket to take Moon Express’ MX-1E on its lunar journey. Though Rocket Lab USA is yet to fly its experimental rocket, the first launch is set for later this month.

>Other teams racing Moon Express to Google's Lunar XPRIZE prize include Team Indus, the only Indian team taking part in the competition. Team Indus plans to launch its spacecraft inside the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle Rocket in December 2017. In total, there are 13 times striving to win the competition.

We will only truly have reached the Age of Lunar Travel when there is a craft that goes to the Moon whose name is some pun of "butt".

ugh dont let them mine away the fucking moon

>>100617
Dark side express - Landing where the Sun don't shine.
>>100648
Why because your period is linked to its orbit?

Is the permission to be asked from the country you fly from? Or is there some international comittee?

>>100684
>Is the permission to be asked from the country you fly from? Or is there some international comittee?

That's what I was wondering? The Moon belongs to Humanity, why the fuck do I need "permission" to go there?

That aside, the Moon is a useless destination, Mars is where it's at.

>>100700
well i don't know if you can fly from international waters, you'd think that you could since nobody has any rights there. But then again when you're firing a missile essentially, you probably have to ask the UN so they know you're not trying to bomb someone?

>>100700
The permission is because they don't want people making shoddy rockets that go up into the atmosphere and immediately come back down on somebody's house or business. Even if it misses hitting anything and crashes in a field, they can't expect an unknown group of rocket scientists to take responsibility and clean it up.

There's also the problem, if the rocket has no identifiers or communication, will look like an ICBM and will most likely be intercepted.

>>100700
It's because all the countries of the world signed a space treaty back in the 1960s that basically says, among other things, that no country owns anything natural outside of Earth's orbit.
http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties.html

>>100683
It may well be linked to periods, but how about the fucking tides of the ocean. I'm not saying we shouldn't use the moons resources but lets be sensible about what we do up there at least.

>>100648
too bad homo. they are going to mine it till it just doesn't exist any more.