Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Centurion2000
There's more ... think mining rights, the ultimate place to dump toxic waste and colonies.

Do you have a cost per ton figure for waste disposal in outer space? What price for minerals do you need to cover variable cost, much less the initial investment? And if colonization of the moon made any sense, why aren't there colonies on Antarctica? That's a much less hostile environment than space, and far cheaper.

If it were cheaper to send toxic waste into space, the launch vehicles would be leaving Earth daily. It isn't. It's a pipe dream.

89 posted on 04/01/2005 10:57:13 AM PST by You Dirty Rats (Mindless BushBot)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 87 | View Replies ]


To: You Dirty Rats

It's going to happen.


91 posted on 04/01/2005 11:02:56 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 89 | View Replies ]

To: You Dirty Rats
And if colonization of the moon made any sense, why aren't there colonies on Antarctica?

The reason there are no colonies on either are UN treaties. Nations are prohibited from having permanent colonies or from doing resource extraction on that continent.

Outer Space treaty prevents ANY private property claims offworld. Otherwise there would be a booming industry.

As far as price per ton of materials, give me 20 billion dollars in startup costs and I would be able to undercut EVERY mining operation on the planet for precious and semi precious metals for the next 50 years.

In the process I'd also give Earth a new moon and a nice close in base for cislunar and HEO operations.

93 posted on 04/01/2005 12:45:50 PM PST by Centurion2000 (Nations do not survive by setting examples for others. Nations survive by making examples of others)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 89 | View Replies ]

To: You Dirty Rats
Do you have a cost per ton figure for waste disposal in outer space?

Considering the fact that NO ONE has a solution for long term high level radioactive waste storage going, price is almost irrelevant.

But for 100 million dollars I could put 500 tons of high level nuclear waste into a solar orbit that would decay and drop it into the sun. Look up the SEA DRAGON booster.

Space is a permanent solution for a lot of problems.

94 posted on 04/01/2005 12:48:04 PM PST by Centurion2000 (Nations do not survive by setting examples for others. Nations survive by making examples of others)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 89 | View Replies ]

To: You Dirty Rats

Space mining is economically possible. The technology was mature enough 30 years ago and the business numbers add up. If anybody is actually interested enough to try to figure out how to do it rather than why to not do it, a discussion is possible.


95 posted on 04/01/2005 12:49:50 PM PST by RightWhale (50 trillion sovereign cells working together in relative harmony)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 89 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson