US unveils blueprint for returning to the Moon

摘要

NASA plans to spend $100 billion over 12 years to land humans back on the Moon in 2018 in what resembles a 'back to the future' Apollo Mk2 venture, using a new generation fleet of vehicles based on Space Shuttle hardware and an Apollo-like Crew Exploration Vehicle carrying four crew to the lunar surface for a 14 day stay. The last human exploration of the Moon took place on the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972, the sixth landing mission in which 12 men walked on the surface of the Moon. Included in the new hardware will be an ambitious lunar laboratory which will be used over a series of expeditions to demonstrate the use of lunar resources in providing water, fuel and other commodities.