Friday, March 12, 2004
This might explain our planned mission to Mars
Well, not China's plan to send up female astronauts (who, consequently, are stronger constitutionally than men, and apparently can better handle the rigors of space). Rather, national pride is getting stirred up, and we want to be the BEST in outer space.
Granted, I want America to be in outer space, too (and I don't mean ripping up North America, wrapping it in a plastic bubble, and blasting it into Saturn's orbit). I just question why we STILL think government does a better job of figuring out how to send people into space than business.
Putting an outpost on the moon DOES make sense within the context of further exploration of the solar system. It's cheaper to send up rockets from the moon, where gravity is 1/10th of the strength on the surface of the earth. However, why doesn't the government view its role more as an instigator rather than puppet master? Figure out how much money would be needed to convince a consortium of well-funded companies to get together and start to plan the construction of a lunar outpost.
Lots of aerospace companies would probably get in on the action, provided they could be convinced that there were REAL profit opportunities to be derived from a presence on the moon, profits that THEY were allowed to keep. Likewise, companies with their own pound of flesh invested in the venture are MUCH more likely to look for cost savings that government bureaucrats hooked up to federal funding teats are less likely to think about. That's what companies do best: think about cost efficiency as a way to maximize profits. Government could make great strides in space exploration if they could just figure out a way to harness that.
Of course, I have absolutely no idea what kind of profit opportunities there would be. I can imagine how an orbiting Hilton hotel would make money. Perhaps a lunar outpost could do something similar (would be fun to bounce around in 1/10th of earth's gravity). Maybe it would make one hell of a retirement home. Have trouble standing up on earth? Go to the moon, and bounce around like a spastic 2 years old.
Mining might make sense, though I can't imagine how they would get iron ore from the moon to earth in a low-cost fashion. On the other hand, perhaps it would be better to broach the topic from a national stage, and see what the industry suggests? I'm sure there are LOTS of bright people who have decent ideas related to making a profit from outer space. The government's decision to help fund it could get the ball rolling, and by co-sponsoring it, they could do it on the cheap.
Well, not China's plan to send up female astronauts (who, consequently, are stronger constitutionally than men, and apparently can better handle the rigors of space). Rather, national pride is getting stirred up, and we want to be the BEST in outer space.
Granted, I want America to be in outer space, too (and I don't mean ripping up North America, wrapping it in a plastic bubble, and blasting it into Saturn's orbit). I just question why we STILL think government does a better job of figuring out how to send people into space than business.
Putting an outpost on the moon DOES make sense within the context of further exploration of the solar system. It's cheaper to send up rockets from the moon, where gravity is 1/10th of the strength on the surface of the earth. However, why doesn't the government view its role more as an instigator rather than puppet master? Figure out how much money would be needed to convince a consortium of well-funded companies to get together and start to plan the construction of a lunar outpost.
Lots of aerospace companies would probably get in on the action, provided they could be convinced that there were REAL profit opportunities to be derived from a presence on the moon, profits that THEY were allowed to keep. Likewise, companies with their own pound of flesh invested in the venture are MUCH more likely to look for cost savings that government bureaucrats hooked up to federal funding teats are less likely to think about. That's what companies do best: think about cost efficiency as a way to maximize profits. Government could make great strides in space exploration if they could just figure out a way to harness that.
Of course, I have absolutely no idea what kind of profit opportunities there would be. I can imagine how an orbiting Hilton hotel would make money. Perhaps a lunar outpost could do something similar (would be fun to bounce around in 1/10th of earth's gravity). Maybe it would make one hell of a retirement home. Have trouble standing up on earth? Go to the moon, and bounce around like a spastic 2 years old.
Mining might make sense, though I can't imagine how they would get iron ore from the moon to earth in a low-cost fashion. On the other hand, perhaps it would be better to broach the topic from a national stage, and see what the industry suggests? I'm sure there are LOTS of bright people who have decent ideas related to making a profit from outer space. The government's decision to help fund it could get the ball rolling, and by co-sponsoring it, they could do it on the cheap.
