This could be one of the biggest and best opportunities NASA has had in recent years. A team of engineers have been able to build and design a small test spacecraft based on a modular design. This spacecraft could eventually be used to land on the Moon, Mars, or just orbit Earth. What make it so notable is its modular design. Instead of having to build 5 different spacecraft for 5 different missions, NASA could use this spacecraft for all 5 missions by just outfitting it with the equipment needed for the particular mission, in the end saving NASA significant development time and budget resources. William Marshall, one of the team members working on the project had this to say:

This spacecraft will allow NASA to launch more missions, for less money. In the 1960's landing on the Moon took a team of thousands of people. Today that same task can be done with 30.

With how strapped NASA is for money nowadays, any idea, prototype, or possibility that could save NASA money would be welcomed and this design is definitely good for that goal.

Exclusive Video: Meet the Spacecraft That Could Save NASA a Fortune [wired.com]

Tags: nasa, moon, mars, landings, space