Moon-to-Mars Commission: Thank You Letter - June 28, 2004The following thank-you letter was sent to each of the ten Moon-to-Mars Commissioners after the conclusion of their work and publication of their report, "A Journey to Inspire, Innovate, and Discover." The letter commends them specifically for including in the report Recommendation 5-2, which directs Congress to provide incentives and clear property rights for corporations and individuals who embark on private space ventures.
Dear Commissioner -
I would like to express my appreciation for the time and effort you invested serving on the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy. Your work should prove a great boon for the advancement of our national space exploration, space science, and space policy agendas for years to come.
I especially wanted to thank you for the well-thought-out provisions of Recommendation 5-2 included in the Commission's final report. Recommendation 5-2, which encourages Congress to promote private commercial activities in space through direct incentives and other means, may in hindsight prove to have been one of the most important catalysts enabling humankind to return to the Moon and travel beyond.
I was particularly impressed by the suggestion that a very large prize, $100 million to $1 billion, "could be offered to the first organization to place humans on the Moon and sustain them for a fixed period before they return to Earth." The huge sums associated with such a prize make this innovative idea an especially effective way of throwing down the gauntlet to Congress and private industry.
Hopefully, NASA and Congress can work out how the funding for such a prize could be provided. Even if they ultimately prove unsuccessful at securing the actual appropriation, an alternative like land claims recognition might be used to provide an equivalent value. The point made by the Commission is resoundingly clear in any case - that private industry must play a central role if the Moon-to-Mars initiative is to succeed.
Once again, thanks for all your hard work with the Commission. Thousands of Americans like myself who are keenly interested in space issues followed your progress closely and were cheering you on every step of the way.
Sincerely,
Douglas O. Jobes
