Moon mission may end with Moses Lake landing

When NASA takes its long journey to the moon in a decade or so, people around here might have a pretty short trip to see it return.

But they may not have much time to plan for it.

Moses Lake is one of three possible landing sites being considered for a new moon mission planned by 2018. Whether the craft actually bumps down in the Inland Northwest depends on the atmospheric conditions on the day of re-entry. The weather might favor one of the other places being considered: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., or Carson City, Nev.

A decision “could be as late as the day before or it could be that morning,” said Michael Braukus, NASA spokesman.

The news has not exactly electrified Moses Lake.

“I’m not aware of it,” said Mayor Ron Covey said. “I know we have been chosen as alternative site for space shuttle landings in the past.”

Marv Teixeira, mayor of Carson City, learned about the possibility of a moon capsule landing in the desert outside of town from a reporter Wednesday.

“I had no idea,” he said. “That’s interesting.”

The landing would likely be aimed toward federal or public land – part of the attraction of the Moses Lake and Carson City areas is the abundance of dry, flat desert surrounding them. The capsule would float down on parachutes and land on its padded end.

The mission would land four astronauts on the moon by 2018 to study its surface from lunar rovers. Further on, the effort may include building lunar outposts and laying the groundwork for missions to Mars.

In any case, no returning spacecraft is likely to find its way to the desert around Moses Lake or anywhere else before the end of the next decade.

“I’m 70,” said Teixeira, the Carson City mayor. “I probably won’t make it.”