TransOrbital, Inc. has become the first private company in the history of space flight to win approval from the U.S. government to explore, photograph, and land on the moon. The company expects to launch its Trailblazer Mission from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan within the next 9-12 months.
The approvals and licensing by U.S. State Department and The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) position TransOrbital as only company presently authorized by the U.S. Government to return to the moon.
Once launched, the Trailblazer will provide stunning, high-definition (HDTV) video and maps of the lunar surface (at 1 meter resolution), as well as new images of earth-rises over lunar craters.
The mission will culminate with the delivery of a time capsule containing personal cargo from Earth (such as messages and photographs), and a final “barnstorming” video as the probe impacts the lunar service. Additionally, the Trailblazer mission should provide the opportunity to view the equipment left behind from past Apollo and Russian landings.
The media collected during the mission will provide TransOrbital with an array of content vital to future scientific and exploratory endeavors, as well as educational and entertainment uses.
“We’re not returning to the moon simply to explore … we’re returning because there are true opportunities there — true revenue streams,” said Dennis Laurie, TransOrbital CEO.
The regulatory approval is a significant hurdle for commercial space enterprises, as they must satisfy a number of design requirements and directives. For TransOrbital, the process took two years to complete.
“TransOrbital has the technology, the desire — and now we have the licensing,” said Laurie. “It’s a significant moment for our company, and a significant development for all of aerospace.
People soon get to experience the moon in ways they never imagined.”
