October's Spaceflight issue has an interesting article about the First Lunar Outpost, written by Dwayne A Day.

Several interesting points: it skips the need for a space station, for an Earth Orbit Rendez-Vous, for a Lunar Orbit Rendez-Vous.
Meaning: no risk docking 2 large spaceships and wasting lots of cryogenic fuel in LEO; getting to the Moon within 3 days (just a little more than what it takes today to dock with ISS); being able to choose any lunar site, even far from the equator, as there is no spacecraft in lunar orbit to wait for.
4 astronauts are launched from Earth in a capsule only 5% bigger than Apollo.
The massive booster keeps its 10m diameter all the way to its payload fairing.
95 tonnes being the mass sent to the Moon from TLI.

Most important: it goes directly to the Moon.
Once on the Moon, the solar panels could also produce hydrogen and oxygen from water, to be used in fuel cells during the 14 days long lunar night.
The lander woud be 14 m tall on the Moon (astronauts would have a long distance to climb, but they're on the Moon anyway)!
An idea for future plans for the Moon.

Raoul