Moon Express, first private company, to make a lunar landing

Moon Express, Inc. (MoonEx), which had submitted its application on April 8, 2016, to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), for a 2017 commercial lunar mission, received the permission on Wednesday to launch its robotic spacecraft beyond Earth's orbit and land on the Moon, which, according to the company, marks the beginning of a new era of ongoing commercial lunar exploration and discovery, and unlocking the immense potential of the Moon’s valuable resources.

“The Moon Express 2017 mission approval is a landmark decision by the U.S. government and a pathfinder for private sector commercial missions beyond the Earth’s orbit,” said co-founder and CEO, Bob Richards. “We are now free to set sail as explorers to Earth’s eighth continent, the Moon.”

The MX-1E is a spacecraft/lander capable of transfer from Earth orbit to the Moon, making a soft landing on the lunar surface, and performing post-landing relocations through propulsive 'hops', the FAA said in a release.

Naveen Jain, the company's Indian-American co-founder and Chairman, said, “The sky is not the limit for Moon Express — it is the launchpad. This breakthrough ruling is another giant leap for humanity. Space travel is our only path forward to ensure our survival and create a limitless future for our children. In the immediate future, we envision bringing precious resources, metals,and Moon rocks back to Earth."

Moon Express was co-founded in 2010 by space visionary, Dr. Bob Richards, billionaire entrepreneur, Naveen Jain, and serial entrepreneur and space technology guru, Dr. Barney Pell, with the common vision to be at the forefront of commercial space exploration and innovation.

Image: Moon Express/Twitter