Our Imperative Moon Return: Open Letter To USA President-Elect Obama

Dear President-Elect Obama, Aloha --

Reclaiming America's, and Humanity's, greatest advance should energize global economies and harmonize global relations more than any other single act these next 5-10 years.

Recognizing the urgency of such a return, an "Independent Human Moon Mission" is being initiated within the American and global space community with the aim of seeing Americans, and others, working on the Moon, for good, within the decade.

Your consideration of this 21st Century destiny and of public-private R&D synergy will go far enabling the IHMM to Luna's South Pole -- likely a $5-10 billion venture with New Mexico activities, initiated in tribute to the vision and spirit of the late Space / Moon entrepreneur James W. Benson.

Our new 8th Continent, the Moon this instant is being surveyed by orbiters from Japan, China and India, increasingly aware of its strategic matter / energy value.Your assurance of America's early lunar return, President-Elect Obama, certainly is cheered here in Hawai`i, with the strong relation to the Moon and to the Galaxy Stars. Mahalo.

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) hosts its annual Fall Meeting on Dec 15-19 in San Francisco CA. Nearly 20,000 scientists from all over the world are expected to assemble for this premiere Earth and space sciences conference, which includes 1,193 sessions and 15,730 abstracts. Topics cover all sciences concerning the Earth, oceans, atmosphere, space and planets, and formats include lectures, presentations, exhibits, business meetings, video screenings and a strong student presence. On Dec 15, NASA Ames Research Center and the Personal Spaceflight Federation will hold a workshop in San Francisco concurrent to the AGU meeting. The 'Human-Tended Suborbital Science Workshop' will focus on the use of a new generation of reusable, piloted, suborbital space vehicles for science applications. The burgeoning suborbital spaceflight industry is expected to lower the cost of flying payloads into space, as well as create a new business model for entrepreneurs doing business with NASA and the research community. Researchers in the fields of heliophysics, Earth and planetary sciences, and microgravity will attend the workshop to share feedback with suborbital providers such as Armadillo Aerospace, Blue Origin, Masten Space Systems, Orbital Expeditions, Virgin Galactic and XCOR Aerospace. NASA is soliciting research proposals, both human-tended and autonomous, under its Suborbital Ex Program and expects to award up to eight 1-year studies at a rate of about US$50,000 each. Pictured (BL): Ames Director Pete Worden. (Credit: AGU, NASA, Masten)