Let’s face it; you’re never going to be an astronaut. And even if you were, there’s no chance NASA would send you anywhere but the ISS. Lucky for you, a company called Golden Spike is officially offering moon rides. All it takes are some very, very deep pockets.
As the Washington Post reports, what Golden Spike is selling is a two-person trip to everyone’s favourite orbiter — moonwalk included! — for $US1.5 billion. It’s recommended that you go halvesies. As Stern explained to the Post:
“We know how to do this. The difference is now we have rockets and space capsules in the inventory….They’re already developed….We don’t have to invent them from a clean sheet of paper. We don’t have to start over.”
The primary customers are expected to be, well, the people who can afford it. Or more specifically the companies and countries that can. It’s unclear when the inaugural launch will be, but it’s safe to say you should start saving those pennies now if you want a shot at walking in Neil Armstrong’s footsteps. And start praying that those pennies magically turn into millions. [Washington Post]
Image: Caspar Benson/Getty Images