The first commercial space mission beyond Earth's orbit was first proposed by the United States government but now, this private space company startup could launch the first private mission towards the moon.  

This private startup is known as the Moon Express which apparently now only requires a crucial endorsement from the U.S. government. The small space company is now aiming to land some sort of scientific payload involving a device or package to collect scientific data on the surface of the moon as soon as next year.

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According to the Wall Street Journal, this company seems to be anticipating a mission approval according to some unnamed sources that are familiar with these details. Many experts also believe that this could be the first among many commercial space ventures that will take place on the moon and across the solar system.

This upcoming decision will involve the strict compliance of international space treaties, where the U.S. is also expected to set the tone for important legal and diplomatic standards for private and commercials space missions.

Within months of this formal approval, this can also become a milestone in boosting commercial space tourism along with asteroid mining for new sources of energy.

According to Moon Express CEO and co-founder Bob Richards, the company has been a regulatory pathfinder out of necessity and it has been only governments who have undertaken and ventured out beyond Earth's orbit.

Despite legal and diplomatic measures and financial support from private ventures and the government, this proposed lunar mission of Moon Express is still in the developmental stages as it still does not possess the rocket technology for the actual launch.

Right now, Moon Express is one of 16 private space companies who are in the running for the Google Lunar X prize that will grant US $20 million to the first team who is privately funded and can develop a rover to land on and explore the surface of the moon. The lunar rover is also expected to travel at least 500 meters on the moon and should be able to transmit back data to ground control on Earth with high resolution images and high definition videos.

TagsMoon Express, first private moon mission, commercial space missions, moon, lunar mission, US, private space missions