Back to the Moon by 2020

The US space agency Nasa has announced plans to return to the Moon by 2020.
Nasa administrator Dr Michael Griffin said four astronauts would be sent in a new space vehicle, in a project that would cost $104bn (£58bn).

“We will return to the Moon no later than 2020 and extend human presence across the Solar System and beyond,” Dr Griffin said on Monday.

Nasa sent several manned missions to the Moon between 1968 and 1972. A total of 12 men walked on the lunar surface.

Different modules could be launched separately into space then joined together for the journey to lunar orbit.

The new missions would use rocket technology already employed on the space shuttle to cut the costs of development.

Matt

(Source: BBC News)

[Technorati tag(s): Moon, nasa, Space, lunar base, Discovery, Science, Hubble Space Telescope]