A Fresh Challenge for Elon Musk

[major_clanger]

How he could honour Neil Armstrong: ensure that there is never a point where no human alive has walked upon the moon.

There are now eight of twelve Apollo moonwalkers left; if Musk wants to show what SpaceX can really do, he can aim to land and safely return a human on a lunar mission whilst at least one of those moonwalkers is still alive. The youngest, Charles Duke (LM Pilot, Apollo 16), is 76 and two others are still in their seventies, so statistically he should have a decade or so to achieve this. Seeing as how he's gone in the last decade from Powerpoint presentations to flying return missions to the Space Station it's not beyond the realm of the possible he might manage it.

Comments

[mishalak]

Funny enough, there nearly was a time between 1911 and 1956 where no human being alive had stood at the South Pole. Helmer Hanssen died two months before leaving only Olav Bjaaland alive from Amundsen's expedition. Bjaaland lived for another five years to 1961.

Given the costs involved and the lack of a compelling reason besides scientific installation I would bet against a human being standing on the surface of the moon before August of 2022.

[davidwake.livejournal.com]

I believe the Chinese are planning a moon landing for 2020.