Private Space Stations To Orbit The Moon By 2020; Lunar Landing Easily Available Soon? See Developments Here

In a recent interview Robert Bigelow, the aerospace entrepreneur said that people could see large private space stations revolving around the moon by 2020. He said that these stations would work as the refueling depots and transit points before landing on the moon surface. He further said that the Trump administration has to make a national drive and funding to make this possible.

Interestingly, Bigelow's firm Bigelow Aerospace has already launched three prototypes of such space stations into the orbit. "It is important to know how Trump administration is going to react," he said in a recent interview. The administration should work quickly to galvanize private sector and energize private sector to get the mission of lunar space station by 2020, he pointed. It was in 2006 and 2007 the Bigelow Aerospace sent two prototype habitats named Genesis I and Genesis II, and in 2016 Bigelow Expandable Activity Module sent to International Space Station to check the feasibility of future habitats.

This year saw a lot of developments in space missions as SpaceX recently announced that it would launch two private passengers orbit around the Moon in 2018. Elon Musk confirmed in the end of February that the firm had received significant deposits from two unnamed people. Interestingly, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also confirmed the plans of his aerospace venture Blue Origin last week. He said that the firm is looking to launch a new rocket called New Glenn, working similar to SpaceX's Falcon 9. The firm is planning to launch geostationary satellites to orbits commercially.

Interestingly, Bigelow has teamed up with Lockheed Martin and Boeing on the lunar habitat mission. Its lunar space station is reportedly three times larger than International Space Station. It is named as BA-330, and it would be launched into lunar orbit by 2020. Bigelow says that the space station will orbit Moon at around 100 miles from the lunar surface and will work as a launch pad and refueling station for potential Moon travelers. When more companies are planning to send private individuals to Moon in future, the upcoming space station would be a great help as it designed.