I don't think any rocket smaller than a Saturn I can make it to the Moon. Going to the Moon (and returning) is for all practical purposes impossible, unless you have a Werner von Braun working on the project. I don't think people understand what a great achievement it was, maybe never to be duplicated. The old saying, "we did it once, we can do it again" definitely does not apply to Moon rockets.
Of course you have to have a hell of a lot of money, but without the vision and dedication of von Braun it never would have happened. This was von Braun's dream. Even with adequate money, it takes more than that...it takes desire to do something like go to the Moon.
You know, to pull off a feat of that magnitude, every single mathematical calculation was checked and re-checked by computers thousands of times. And then those figures were checked manually thousands of times using slide rules to the smallest detail. There is no room for error, at least with a man-rated rocket, but certainly you wouldn't want your private built rocket to fail. How many engine tests would have to be made? And that's only for the propulsion solutions.
Every time a rocket behaves as designed it's more miracle than not. A rocket is basically a controlled bomb that vents instead of exploding. These prizes are good indicators of just how much the general public is not aware of how difficult a Moon launch is, or really any launch for that matter. If a trip to the Moon is repeated, it certainly won't be inspired by money. It would have to be a labor of love, akin to Werner von Braun's dream.
Interesting tidbit here: For a trip to Mars, a ground launched rocket would have to be about the size of the Empire State Building.
Les
