Article Posted on : - Nov 04, 2010

LONDON (PTI): NASA is contemplating sending a robot to the moon in just 1,000 days -- for just a fraction of the cost of sending a human.

Engineers at the US space agency claim that in 1,000 days they would be able to safely build and fire a humanoid-like machine into space and onto the Earth's natural satellite, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

It would cost less than $200 million plus $250 million for the rocket, substantially less than the $150 billion it would be to send an astronaut, the space agency said.

The engineers behind it also hope that the sight of a robot walking on the Moon would inspire a new generation of scientists, just as the Apollo landings did 40 years ago.

Project M has been considered a "guerrilla effort" by NASA engineers due to the lack of official enthusiasm for returning to the Moon. So, they have had to use discretionary funds, barter with engineering companies, and persuade NASA units to cooperate.

The driving force behind the project was Stephen J. Altemus, chief engineer at Johnson Space Centre in Houston.

Faced with shrinking budgets, he wanted something that could be achieved quickly without getting bogged down in red tape. When he shared his idea with colleagues it caught on like "wildfire" and they have not looked back.

The team found that sending a robot to the Moon is far easier than sending a person -- it does not need air or food and there is no return trip. The project has also been helped by building on existing technology and modifying it rather than starting afresh.