Looking for a cozy getaway for two with guaranteed solitude? Startup space venture Golden Spike has just the thing, but it will set you back a total of $1.5 billion. The company run by former NASA execs plans to offer two-person trips to the moon by 2020, reports Nature and the Washington Post. “Two seats, 750 each,” says CEO Alan Stern. “The trick is 40 years old. We know how to do this."
The price tag might be exorbitant, but the company thinks some corporations or even foreign countries might sign on. If that happens and trips become routine, the price would come down. Golden Spike doesn't make its own rockets, notes Eric Hand of Nature, making it "more like an airline company rather than an aircraft manufacturer." It would have to contract with other companies, possibly SpaceX. Space.com has more on the logistics of Golden Spike's travel plan. (More moon stories.)