Bush Plans Science Base on the Moon

by **Colonel Ingus** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 5:29 pm

Moon base would be great from a business standpoint. being able to develop a colony there (1/6th gravity) would make space exploration dirt cheap as far as transport costs go. From there using a mass accelarator you can dump all kinds of cheap materials (aluminum, titanium etc) into orbit and really start building up local space.

Mars mission is stupid and just a publicity stunt. What we should do is get to the asteroid belt and start developing it, thats where it would be dirt cheap and extremely profitable.

Big government programs aren't going to get man into space. We really need to get private industry there. then foolish programs (space shuttle anyone) wouldn't happen.

Thank god for the X-prize. that may be what gets cheap ground to orbit transport available and really open up space.

by **Buliwyf** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 5:33 pm

Have a question for you all. Where does ethics come into all this?

Is it first come first server when colonozing new planets etc? Could everyone from America for example colonize MARS and leave everyone else behind to fend for themselves ?

Very curious on thoughts like this...

by **Colonel Ingus** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 5:38 pm

They will try to legislate it but I think once people start going out its going to be like the American west with people coming from all over and forming new societies.

ARRRGGGHHHH! just read that article over and it sucks! Apollo type capsules? ARRGGGGHHHHH! Private industry is already developing ground to orbit aircraft that can take off from a runway like plane, enter orbit, then land at a runway again. (See X-prize) Why the hell would we want to go back to 1960's technology!

ARRRGGGGHHHHH!

by **Camel toe joe** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 5:44 pm

Originally posted by Buliwyf
Have a question for you all. Where does ethics come into all this?

Is it first come first server when colonozing new planets etc? Could everyone from America for example colonize MARS and leave everyone else behind to fend for themselves ?

Very curious on thoughts like this...

I remember some site that sold realestate on other planets, apparently no one nation can stake claims on a planet butit doesn't apply for one person...anyway how is it they can build a spacestaion on the moon but i have wait 6(and counting) months for a friggin phone!!

by **JimmyTango** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 6:01 pm

Originally posted by =V!per=
Simple, The international space station is a united program with Russia, Japan, the U.S.A., and England. Considering the fact that Russia was supposed to have reserved several funds and equipment for the space station and have not followed through with the alloted time I feel it serves as national pride to continue on a sole trek to something new like a moon base. We have invested billions upon billions to help in the space station when at all truths its considered an international project people tend to forget that the U.S. is doing basically the entire work.

I'm all for private investing to help NASA and taxpayers from cutting into the already deep hole of federal debt.

So, because it would be ours, and only ours, do it? That is basicly what you said.

My points is the money it woudl cost, and what we have already spent. You talk about the billions we have spent on the Int'l Space Station, yet want to spend billions more again just so it is ours?

I am sorry, those are very bad reasons.

by **JimmyTango** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 6:03 pm

Originally posted by Colonel Ingus
They will try to legislate it but I think once people start going out its going to be like the American west with people coming from all over and forming new societies.

ARRRGGGHHHH! just read that article over and it sucks! Apollo type capsules? ARRGGGGHHHHH! Private industry is already developing ground to orbit aircraft that can take off from a runway like plane, enter orbit, then land at a runway again. (See X-prize) Why the hell would we want to go back to 1960's technology!

ARRRGGGGHHHHH!

it is simple, while they are developing these types of crafts, the target date for their use is very very very far off. They are still just computer simulations, last I saw.

by **Colonel Ingus** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 6:16 pm

Years off?

Where did you get that? Several of the contestant entrants have already done test flights and others have prototypes built.

We are in the category of months off not years for GTO travel.

NASA is the worst thing that has happened to mankinds effort to go into space. They actively suppress private industry so they can continue to hand out gigantic contracts (our tax money) to their preferred vendors that are all major companies that SURPRISE make giant donations to political campaigns and have huge lobby groups in D.C.

Access to space and economically affordable travel costs aren't going to happen until private industry gets into space.

And even though its all neato and cool the Apollo program was done poorly and actually set us back about 30 years in our efforts to go into space. The original Apollo mission was configured to build a surface to orbit ability, construct a space station, and use that space station as a launching point to go to the moon.

Hmm imagine if we had had the space station in orbit in the late 60's/early 70's? Where would we be now?

by **lil_Tigga** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 6:23 pm

plus they didint even land on the moon

by **[U.S.C] Amaryl** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 6:31 pm

Originally posted by JimmyTango
Set goals can lead to problems. Remember the set goal to send a teacher in space by X-date?

Personally, I question the needed expense of this(mainly the manned moon station). Going to mars would be cool though. This country is in huge debt as is, do we need all of this expense? Sounds cool and all, but what difference is there with a moon base compared to a space station orbitting earth?

-Gravity. 1/6 earth gravity allows an increase in time scientists can spend on experiments with almost zero gravity with no danger of muscle diseases.
-Resources.
-No danger about a problem can crash the space station into earth.
-Forward base for futther space missions. (save tons of fuel for the take off)

sounds cool the idea but the date for this, is far away from being acomplised soon

by **cavalierlwt** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 7:53 pm

It would be nice to be able to set up a good sized permanent base, unlike the ISS which is just rocket modules connected together. Maybe put a nice telescope up there, lets scientists from different countries pay to spend time, help offset the cost. Just think of the advantages of bringing future mars missions up to a lunar base in small pieces and assembling and launching from there. We would be able to completely bypass the insane amount of weight/size restrictions.
As a bonus, the moon may contain (frozen) water at the poles, which could be used to make Hydrogen fuel for future missions.

by **=V!per=** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 12:05 am

Originally posted by JimmyTango
So, because it would be ours, and only ours, do it? That is basicly what you said.

My points is the money it woudl cost, and what we have already spent. You talk about the billions we have spent on the Int'l Space Station, yet want to spend billions more again just so it is ours?

I am sorry, those are very bad reasons.

No Jimmy you got me all wrong. There is no such thing as a planet or moon belonging to one sole country. I meant to clarify that the idea would be instituted by the U.S. first and as Bush put it, keep the U.S. on top of the space exploration in regards to history.. If you recall China is hard at work with their space program so it won't be long before their right behind us with our ever marginalizing and monopolizing space program that keep private companies from developing products, etc. Not flaming btw, but yes Amaryl is right we can gain so much by developing on the site experimentation on the moon. Forget Mars, we'll be long dead by that time anyways :lol:

by **Bagginses** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 12:48 am

Originally posted by C. Murgatroyd
Hopefully by privatizing the project. We really need some private space-exploration enterprises, will really kick up the pace.

I think that is without a doubt, the best way to get this done. There are tons of companies that are itching to do something of this sort. However, I think Bush wants to keep it all in NASA so it looks more like it's his doing for that election later this year. Granted, more attention to the space program is awesome, but why waste our government's money on it when there are plenty of private companies that would kill to do this.

I had an entire class last year run by Boeing to find ways to open up space exploration to the private sector. It's very interesting stuff if you get into it.

-Bagginses

by **JimmyTango** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 12:56 am

Originally posted by =V!per=
No Jimmy you got me all wrong. There is no such thing as a planet or moon belonging to one sole country.

I think you did not understand, I am talking about the actual space station, not the moon or a planet.

by **hightimber** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 3:03 pm

Originally posted by lil_Tigga
plus they didint even land on the moon

Gee, I wonder where all those moon rocks came from....

by **Mugzy** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 4:40 pm

Originally posted by Colonel Ingus
ARRRGGGHHHH! just read that article over and it sucks! Apollo type capsules? ARRGGGGHHHHH! Private industry is already developing ground to orbit aircraft that can take off from a runway like plane, enter orbit, then land at a runway again. (See X-prize) Why the hell would we want to go back to 1960's technology!

The players in the X-prize are not going to enter orbit. They are just going to rocket up to 65k miles (the "space" line) then come back down. The catch is that they have to be able to do it again in just 2 weeks.

Bush Plans Science Base on the Moon

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