Russian Firm Plans To Build Lunar Base, Project Costs An Estimated $9.4 Billion

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Russian Firm Plans To Build Lunar Base, Project Costs An Estimated $9.4 Billion
Business 2 Community
Muyen Peng  January‎ ‎04‎, ‎2015






A Russian lunar base may no longer be a science fiction concept. A Russian firm is proposing plans to build a functioning base on Earth’s moon. There’s a kicker, though, it needs the funds to do so, and the price tag is estimated at $9.4 billion.

The company is Lin Industrial, and it cites Sergei Burkatovsky as one of its high profile backers. Burkatovsky is the innovator of the popular MMORPG game World of Tanks. The firm is confident that it can have a Russian lunar base in full operation on the moon within 10 years of receiving the green light from the government.

Others in the aerospace industry, however, are a little more skeptical. Lev Zeleny, the director at the Russian Academy Institute of Space Research, says that it’s still too early to begin serious talks about building the world’s first settlement outside of Earth.

#Russianfirm proposes $9.4B #moonbase for mining #LinIndustrial #finance http://t.co/KuAKOO6iTq pic.twitter.com/ksohINt0kd

— Financial Trends (@Financeolizer) January 4, 2015

Lin Industrial’s chief designer Alexander Ilyin told the Russian news Agency TASS that construction is possible using equipment and technology that are currently not in existence but could be made available within the next five years.

The company estimated that the project would require a total of 13 space shuttle launches for transporting the supplies and equipment. An additional 37 launches will be needed thereafter for supplies that would make the base habitable in the long-term.

While a lunar base may seem like a farfetched idea based on current technology, researchers do believe that not only is it possible but it could also prove to be extremely profitable. It is believed that the moon contains an abundant supply of rare minerals that are currently used in everyday electronic items.

Other companies are also looking to the moon as a location for prospective business ventures. Golden Spike, for instance, is a company that provides trips to the moon to vacationers. It’s a good alternative for those looking for something besides the typical Hawaiian or cruise ship vacation. The price tag, though, is quite steep and set at $750 million per person.

As for the plans of a Russian lunar base, it’s definitely a possibility considering that there is already a man-controlled rover on Mars. With the wars, climate change, and poverty, life on the moon may actually prove to be more desirable than on Earth.

[photo credit: Mark Connell]


https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/russian-firm-plans-build-lunar-project-costs-estimated-011855124.html