German official promotes unmanned moon mission to Make Space Airport (CP)

[Drew Wilson]

BERLIN — Germany could send a team of robots to the moon by 2015 with the proper funding and political will, the country's aerospace co-ordinator said Wednesday.

The program would cost C1.5 billion ($2.1 billion) over five years, Peter Hintze said.

Hintze said the mission is worthwhile because 40 years after Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin stepped onto the surface of the moon, it remains an "excellent research platform for the exploration of space," and an "archive of the solar system."

He also suggested that the moon could serve as "the world's space airport" for future missions further afield.

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I'm liking this idea.

[Signa]

Sounds cheap compared to the bailout plan, and it's a lot more forward thinking.

[mountain_rage]

Quick! Duck and roll, the Germans are going to weaponize the moon!