Google Goes to the Moon

I am happy to read that a private company has permission to land a rover on the Moon. Earlier this week, the Federal Aviation Administration granted Moon Express the permission, which it sought in part to win the Google Lunar X Prize.  This is a first for commercial space anywhere. 

On its website, Moon Express stated: 

The federal interagency approval of the Moon Express 2017 lunar mission establishes an important precedent for the private sector to engage in peaceful space exploration, bringing with it monumental implications for the advancement of technology, science, research, and development, as well as commercial ventures that expand Earth’s economic sphere.

What is interesting is that private companies have been spending more time talking about private trips to Mars and simply foregoing the Moon until now.  For instance, Mars One is still working on a Martian mission. 

Let's hope we start to see more commercial traffic heading to the moon and elsewhere.