Folks, I couldn’t make this up…even in one of my most vivid dreams.
NASA will pay private entities between $15,000 and $25,000 for between 1.8 and 18 ounces for dirt. The catch? The dirt has to be harvested on the moon. Compare that to the “down to earth” prices of topsoil in your area!
NASA already has a considerable stash of moon rocks here, of course. The Apollo astronauts brought home 842 lbs. of lunar material between 1969 and 1972.
The main goal of the new program is to stimulate and normalize the extraction and sale of lunar resources. For example, participating companies may choose to collect far more than 18 ounces of material and sell the excess to non-NASA buyers.
“Right now, we’re trying to prove the concept that resources can be extracted, and they can be traded,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said. “And not just traded among companies or private individuals, but also among countries and across borders — private individuals in other countries.”
The use of lunar resources is critical to establishing a sustainable human presence on and around the moon, a goal NASA aims to achieve by the late 2020s via its Artemis program of crewed exploration (that’s less than 10 years from now…it’ll be here before you know it). This lunar work will help the agency prepare for crewed trips to Mars in the 2030s, NASA officials have said. I hope they don’t forget to send a postcard or two home…you know “Greetings from Mars–having a wonderful time, wish you were here.”
So, the big takeaway is this: it’s happened…prices for topsoil have gone sky high–literally. I think it’s better for most of us to remain well-grounded, right here on earth.
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