Industry Commercial spaceflight Founder Alan Stern Type of business Private | Headquarters Colorado Founded 2010 | |
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Key people Alan Stern
Gerald D. Griffin Website goldenspikecompany.com (website under construction) | ||
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The Golden Spike Company was an American space transport startup active 2010–2013. The company was chartered for business in Colorado with the objective to offer private commercial space transportation services to the surface of the Moon. The name of the company is in reference to the ceremonial final spike placed in the First Transcontinental Railroad upon its completion.
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History
The first public mention of a concept related to the name of this company and involving people associated with the company was at a conference in Hawaii on May, 2012 where it was suggested that "A privately circulated proposal, known as 'Golden Spike' and backed by respected scientific and astronautical entities, envisions the development of a reliable 'Cislunar Superhighway'." The company was formally announced at a press conference held on December 6, 2012 at the National Press Club, when details of the company and its ambitions were presented.
Golden Spike was founded in 2010 by Alan Stern, former NASA associate administrator for science (2007-2008), and Gerry Griffin, former NASA Johnson Space Center Director. Griffin was the initial Chairman of the Board. Additional members of the board of directors in 2012 were space entrepreneur Esther Dyson, and Taber MacCallum, co-founder and CEO of Paragon Space Development Corp. Other advisers include former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, former NASA Space Shuttle manager Wayne Hale, author and aeronautical engineer Homer Hickam, and former governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson.
The last human to walk on the Moon was U.S astronaut Gene Cernan, commander of the Apollo 17 mission that blasted off from Kennedy Space Center 40 years ago and, since then, there have been various missions to the Moon; but no manned visits. As of 2012, Golden Spike was hoping to change that, and this venture should also be seen in the context of a growing cluster of stated intentions by various nations and private organizations to return to the Moon.
Board of directors
Board of directors, as of 2012:
Reaction
Scientific American wrote that "Golden Spike's plans rank among the most audacious privately funded space exploration missions ever proposed." Former director of NASA Johnson Space Center says "If NASA wants a ride, we'd be glad to put them on our railroad". NASA was supportive of the effort, and said it showed the merits of supporting commercial spaceflight.
John E. Pike of GlobalSecurity.org said that the company's cost estimate was unrealistic: "Stern doesn’t have enough zeros in his budget."
The company's Indiegogo funding campaign raised $19,450 of its $240,000 goal.