Registered: Jul 2000
Location: A New England
Posts: 9187

As much as I always dreamed of a return to the moon and I like the thought of a manned presence there (assuming that is not rampant speculation, and we can do something of genuine use there). I don't think it would be too smart to instigate an increased NASA program WHEN THE NATION IS A TRILLION DOLLARS IN THE HOLE!!!

Link

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Sedona, Arizona
Posts: 19111

We need to set up a camp there. At least Osama can't bomb it.

It's only money, Goat.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2001
Location:
Posts: 17

Don't count on it, capitalist pig dog.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Essex, England
Posts: 4523

quote:

---

Originally posted by wonderaz
We need to set up a camp there. At least Osama can't bomb it.

It's only money, Goat.

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: May 2003
Location: N. Texas
Posts: 3463

After all the recent failures in Mars missions, returning to the moon seems like a great idea. If China keeps making overtures about manned moon missions and ultimate intention to mine lunar resources, you can bet that we will be back there in a heartbeat.

The Kennedy vehicle assembly building can be used for some new mega Saturn V rockets capable of huge cargo payloads. We have the technology to send a fleet of unmanned Saturn’s on construction material trips to the moon and we can build permanent construction and mining sites on the moon. Why couldn’t they engineer the one way trip vehicles themselves to be utilized as building blocks akin to the space station? All that’s needed is a place to sleep between working shifts assembling god knows what on the surface of the moon. What about actual mining operations? Hasn’t it always been suggested that we could mine all of the necessary materials to build damn near anything on the moon. There is about a 13% Iron composition to the moon but is luckily located in densely packed areas, so all they have to do is setup shop near the densest iron deposits and do what we do best…..deplete natural resources. I am unaware if any experiments have ever been done on forming molten metals or alloys in a low gravity environment, but I am sure you could create some exotic alloys once the process had been perfected.

Launching space missions from the moon via some sort of accelerator rail system has always been the most viable option.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 2003
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 294

after playing golf, racing remote control cars and dancing I think we're just plain out of things to do on the moon.

we should focus on making it cheaper to get to the moon before we try going back. if we're gonna try anything like colonization it shouldn't cost us billions and billions per trip.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 13002

colonialism returns!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2001
Location: ........
Posts: 15003

Worked for Nixon.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2003
Location: mediocre apartment
Posts: 2634

Really, the only thing the moon is good for is a base of further exploration. Besides beating the Soviets to the moon, the original intent of the Apollo program was to see if we could get there, and once there, if we could build a big rocket complex that we could use to shoot manned and unmanned rockets at tha astroids, Mars, and other stuff. The idea being that it would be cheaper and easier to build and launch stuff from the moon, since the machines could be built more delicately, with material already in space, and wouldn't have to compete with Earth's escape velocity. What shut the program down, besides a lack of space interest in the public, was the fact that there isn't anything on the moon we could use as fuel. However, rail guns and ion drives might change that.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35656

The nation is more than a trillion in the hole, I think.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Germany
Posts: 496

They want to go back to the moon so they can plant evidence that they went there 30 years ago to begin with. It's part of the conspiracy...

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Essex, England
Posts: 4523

The nation likes it in the hole I think!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2002
Location:
Posts: 110

there was a discussion about this where I work the other day. NASA funding for satellites etc is inevitably interlinked with military/ defence intentions. For example the space station does little science, the team up there is just big enough to keep the thing in one piece. There are discussions about having an observatory on the southern point of the moon: funding this might be in line with US intentions to have a permanent base there.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: May 2003
Location: N. Texas
Posts: 3463

I wonder how the UK manned space program is working out?

Oh thats right...Theres no such fucking thing!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Germany
Posts: 496

quote:

---

Originally posted by lanin
I wonder how the UK manned space program is working out?

Oh thats right...Theres no such fucking thing!

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged