Building A Space Base, Part 2: How Much Money Would It Take?

universetoday.com ^ | on November 4, 2014 | Elizabeth Howell

[BenLurkin]

Part one was linked yesterday in chat

[from occupied ga]

Building A Space Base, Part 2: How Much Money Would It Take?

The questions come to mind: Whose money? and Why? There isn't anything in space that is worth the cost of getting it.

[ifinnegan]

Lot of materials on the Moon.

I thought that all this would have happened by now.

[Resolute Conservative]

Just use an Illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator to do the foundation work.

[Norm Lenhart]

It will have to be private enterprise. Govt will ‘nationalize’ it for the UN and thus hose it. Assuming we survive long enough, we have to go there eventually.

[GraceG]

[ Building A Space Base, Part 2: How Much Money Would It Take?

The questions come to mind: Whose money? and Why? There isn’t anything in space that is worth the cost of getting it. ]

How about the cost of getting away FROM something horrible on earth, like planetary socialism..?

The higher the taxes and regulations, the more living on the harsh airless moon will look like virtual paradise...

Space will be colonized by Political Refugees....

[GraceG]

[ Lot of materials on the Moon.

I thought that all this would have happened by now. ]

Tele-Robotics + 3D Printing = “Seed Factory”

Send “seed factory” to the moon and operate it remotely for a few years to build and establish base, THEN send people to mostly finished moon base!

[dainbramaged]

I thought that all this would have happened by now.
No kidding - they should have started building a moon base during the Apollo program.

[BenLurkin]

Part 2

[kidd]

I have to agree with you, as much as I’d like to see a moon base.

Too many problems to overcome with present technology:
- radiation
- meteorites
- water
- air
- transportation costs

To claim that mining would justify the costs is not credible.

[camle]

the logic here seems to be the same as “it’s easy, all we need to do is put a bell on the cat”.

[BitWielder1]

It depends on how much government involvement there will be.

What's out there in space? ALMOST EVERYTHING.
The entire universe beyond our little pebble.
I believe it's worth it but we do need to get beyond the Low Earth Orbit baby crib.

[from occupied ga]

Lot of materials on the Moon.

Yep rocks. Divide the dollar cost of the Apollo program by the weight of rocks returned, and you'll have the cost per pound of moon rocks no different in intrinsic value that any you just pick up off the ground.

[from occupied ga]

How about the cost of getting away FROM something horrible on earth, like planetary socialism..?

government is a plague that humans carry with them. There is a large fraction who think that someone else owes them a living and government is the instrument that they use to extort what they falsely believe to be their due.

[from occupied ga]

What's out there in space? ALMOST EVERYTHING

Can't argue with that, BUT it is the cost of getting it that's the killer.

[tet68]

There isn’t anything in space that is worth the cost of getting it.

Freedom only really exists on a frontier and we are
rapidly running out of those here on earth.

[from occupied ga]

Freedom only really exists on a frontier and we are rapidly running out of those here on earth.

Then we'd better damn well do something about it here and now because running off to Mars or the moon isn't an option.

[tet68]

It’s the only option we DO have.

[BitWielder1]

So was setting sail on the open oceans 500+ years ago.

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3222809/posts