Back to the Moon: Nasa starts packing Lunar landings by humans to resume by 2018. BY A CORRESPONDENT 20 September, 2005: Nasa has announced its mission to take humans back to the Moon and beyond, with futuristic spaceship and launch technologies. The new space travel technology will replace the ageing space shuttles, and serve to set up Earth's Moon outpost, for onward journey to Mars and perhaps beyond. The new space travel blueprint hopes to take humans to Moon by 2018. Nasa expects to restart unmanned space flights to Moon in three years. Manned space flights will come much later. The future of space travel will use technologies derived from that of the space shuttle, but Nasa says the new space vehicle will be ten times safer than the space shuttle.  Engines of the new space vehicle will use liquid methane. Nasa has its eyes on the Methane reserves in the Martian atmosphere on selecting methane fuel. Nasa hopes that by the time man reached Mars, technologies to convert the distant planet's proto-fuel to spaceship fuel will be ready.  However, all these are from Nasa's study on how to explore space in the future. The American space agency is still to start work on the new space travel project, for which only artist's impressions are available so far.  The Nasa study is part of its plan in executing President Bush's Vision for Space, to replace space shuttles, taken Men to Moon and Mars and complete work on the International Space Station, which has slowed down due to the grounding of conventional space shuttles. The next-generation space vehicle Nasa has in mind will accommodate up to six people. According to Nasa's Michael Griffin, "this spacecraft and its systems will build upon the foundation of the proven designs and technologies used in the Apollo and space shuttle programs, while having far greater capability. It will be able to carry larger and heavier cargos into space and allow more people to stay on the moon for longer periods of time." The new space vehicle will combine possibilities of manned and unmanned space flights. Currently, the space shuttles and Soyuz vehicles are flown by humans, whereas robot spacecraft like the Russian Progress spacecraft can fly to the space by an onboard computer and controls from ground. Nasa plans to build the new crew exploration vehicle in such a way that it can fly on its own, as well as with men on board. Crews and cargo will be carried into orbit by a space shuttle-derived launch system, consisting of a solid rocket booster and an upper stage powered by a shuttle main engine that can lift 25 metric tons. The spacecraft also will be 10 times safer than the space shuttle because of its in-line design and launch-abort system. Travel to the moon will be supported by a heavy cargo launch vehicle which has 5 space shuttle main engines, and two five-segment shuttle solid-propellant rocket boosters. This will create a lift capability of 106 metric tons to low Earth orbit, and 125 metric tons, if it incorporates an Earth-departure stage. Although primarily designed to carry cargo, this system can be human-rated to carry crew into orbit. The crew will lift off in a capsule (the crew exploration vehicle), positioned at the tip of a modified space shuttle rocket. The rocket will use solid fuels.  Another launch happens separately, which lifts the heavy cargo to space. This launch will be powered by four rockets. The lunar landing vehicle and other cargo will be carried to space by this second launch. In space, the crew vehicle docks with the cargo vehicle. The Moon travel will have stop at the International Space Station. From the ISS, the space ship leaves for the Moon, powered by technologies adapted from the Apollo Moon mission. Once it reaches the Moon's orbit, the Moon crew boards the lunar lander, which detaches from the capsule and descends to the Earth. Here also, Nasa is planning to do the vehicle design in such a way that it can orbit the Moon without any human presence on board, unlike in the Apollo mission. Also, Nasa's long-term plans include human presence on Moon for long periods, for detailed human exploration of its surface and setting up a Lunar outpost for travel to Mars and beyond. Let's hope Nasa meets its schedule so we can see the next Man on Moon in our lifetime! BY A CORRESPONDENT