Depending on how many customers sign up, the first mission could be ready to fly by 2020, and speculation about which corporations would be looking to get on-board has already begun.
The Moon, which could be renamed the Sports Direct Natural Satellite, has not been visited by Earthlings in forty years.
With the possibility of popular album and song titles being changed to ‘Walking on the Coca Cola Lunar Globe’ and ‘Dark Side of the McDonald’s McMoon’, some critics have warned that the involvement of private investment could transform the moon into an orbiting billboard.
“Whilst I welcome investment in space exploration with open arms, I’m worried at the prospect of advertising becoming involved,” said astronomy enthusiast Trevor Morgan.
“I don’t want to look through my telescope and see a Nike swoosh in the night sky.”
“Impact craters are impact craters not MasterCard Velocity Collisions.”
Golden Spike president, Alan Stern, Nasa’s former associate administrator for science revealed that they would need to sell “a bunch” of missions to turn a profit.
“We would welcome investment from any number of sources and that would include corporations,” he admitted. “If these missions prove successful then hopefully we can expand sponsorship deals beyond the moon.” “It could be a small step for man, a giant leap for GlaxoSmithKline.”
( via newsthump.com )