Newt Gingrich Proposes Moonbase [Video]

Newt Gingrich is known for big ideas and he didn’t disappoint at the last Republican debate in Florida. When asked about his goals for the Space Program, he advocated for a permanent American presence on the moon, manned missions to Mars and devel0ping a series of space stations which will help develop commercial space.

Not bad for a days work!

There is an underlying position that Newt took on the space program where he was able to model his Reaganesque type of political thought. He does not believe that the goals of the space program are going to be met by adding money and manpower to NASA. He believes the real innovation will come from encouraging the private sector to invest in space.

He pointed to the case of Charles Lindbergh who was the first pilot to fly across the Atlantic. He didn’t do it because he was ordered to or as a government employee. He did it because he was trying to min a $25,000 prize.

Gingrich believes that between the United States Government and private entrepreneurs there is more than enough money to encourage private sector investment in the space race. There could be private sector investment to commercialize space. Virgin Galactic is an early example.

Virgin Galactic took in a prize of $10 million dollars called the X-prize to develop the first private space ship. Noe they are using that ship to power Virgin Galactic which aims to be the first space tourism company. Seats on the ship cost $200,000 and they already have more than 100 people signed up.

Do you agree with Newt Gingrich that we have to encourage private sector space capabilities?

Check out the debate where Newt Gingrich proposed the space programs!