Decision Would Remove Barriers For Companies To Travel Beyond Earth Orbit

The first private space mission to go beyond Earth orbit may soon get the blessing of the U.S. government, according to sources familiar with the details.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the government may soon give a green light commercial space ventures wanting to attempt an unmanned moon mission. If it does so, it would eliminate the regulatory barriers faced by companies like Moon Express, which hopes to fly a small package of instruments to the Moon sometime next year. It could also clear the way for several other companies eyeing unmanned missions to our nearest neighbor in space and beyond.

The decision would set precedents for how Washington would assure that nongovernmental entities would comply with international space treaties. It could apply to missions ranging from pure exploration to commercial mining of asteroids and tracking space debris.

A spokesman for the FAA said the agency is currently working through the fine points of the process that would clear missions for companies like Moon Express, but would not give details until that process had been completed.

Moon Express is among the companies competing for the Google Lunar X Prize, which is offering $20 million for the first company that can land a robotic spacecraft on the moon, travel across its surface, and transmit pictures back to Earth.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.nasa.gov, www.moonexpress.com