Comments on: A setback for circumlunar tourism?

By: Sam Dinkin

Sam Dinkin — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 18:13:22 +0000

More likely it will just take more money. The $100 million price was back before a seat to ISS cost $40 million. If it costs $80 million for an extra Soyuz launch, then it could cost $160 million for a flight around the Moon. These prices seem to be building in a monopoly (or oligarchy?) rent.

By: CentEur

CentEur — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 08:16:39 +0000

I can't remember Sevastianov talking about tourism circumlunar flight. Lopota didn't mentioned tourism either. I'm quite sure his comments concerned Russian government Moon exploration. There's no sense in turning down tourists money when you need it so bad.

By: David Stever

David Stever — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:48:51 +0000

I’d hope that someone waving a suitcase full of dollar bills around would change their mind back.

I can’t imagine that the prestige of Russia getting to the moon before the US returns to it could be dismissed so easily. While we’re not talking any Soviet style idiocy, still you’d think that they’d want to tug our beards (or at least MY beard) by pulling this off years before we’re ready to do anything close to this mission ourselves.

Even before they turn it over to the tourists, they’d have to check it out at least once on their own, and maybe do a lunar mapping mission with the beefed up Soyuz. Surely someone around hear some an imagination?!?