Posted on 11/27/2004 12:49:19 PM PST by demlosers
Prizes and awards won't do anything. Private property rights will.
That is very true. Perhaps a land and mineral rush would do it.
Actually, that was another urban legend that has been proven untrue. Boeing/Rockwell still has the plans locked away. We could build the S5 again and it would be much more efficient given the structural materials and electronics revolution that has occurred since they were built in the 60's. A heavy lift booster would definitely be needed to lift the nuclear fission power plants for real space ships and lunar/Mars colonies.
This 'program' is starting to have the feel of window-dressing. It's galling to me, a space junkie, but spending the next 15 years surveying the Moon (via unmanned vehicles) seems for a landing site seems counter-productive - we've got at least a few landing locations picked out for the Apollo missions that were cancelled. Granted, it's likely a manned spacecraft for this mission will take at least 5-8 years to design and construct, but still, I suspect there's better uses of the money than surveying the moon.
And, to address another point of contention in this thread, while there's lots of 'new technology' out there, I'd be inclined to re-use as much of the Saturn 5/Apollo vehicles as possible (although I suspect that we could make the electronics packages using somewhat more modern equipment) - it worked before. And, knowing how current NASA requirements are looking for other spacecraft, I personally would be more comfortable using the original Apollo equipment rather than some of the new stuff they're likely to want...
-SV
If one were truly going to the moon for military/strategic purposes it would be wise to have an official deadline much further in the future than the actual deadling. Lull the opposition into complacency, as it were.
On the other hand this /is/ NASA we're talking about here...
From time to time the waiting line at the Gov't Land Office snakes down the hall, out the door, and into the street. Why such interest in filing claims? Nothing much, just some lone miner showing up with a few pounds of pure gold powder and a couple 4 ounce nuggets.
The real money in space won't be from gold itself, of course, anymore than the real money in Colorado was the gold itself. We all know that, but can't you just about feel the weight of a sack of gold powder in your hand as you board the freighter for the moon?
Right. The real money would be in the transport, feeding and supplying of the mines. Eventually, the colony would probably become independent and do a great deal of trading.
What is needed is cheap transport and cheap housing, just like the frontier.
I'll be 37 when we go to Mars.
I'd better start getting in shape! :D
And inefficient ><
That was a whole lot of rocket to get three guys and a tin can to the Moon.
You can blame LBJ for killing off Apollo's competitors in the cradle. It was a brilliant accomplishment, but not the best way by a long shot.
STILL, I get that "Tim Allen" feeling seeing that baby go. :)
'The opposition' is not really a concern, in this case - there's no one to stop us, so it doesn't really matter whether we announce when we're going. Also, the space industry is such that launch dates are hard to keep secret, particularly when the destination is known.
I still lean towards the pessimistic side when it comes to manned spacecraft outside of LEO anytime soon...
-S5
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