Crazy Moon base...
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=35264
Shackleton Energy Company: Humans to Return to the Moon by 2019
http://www.space.com/10619-mining-moon-water-bill-stone-110114.html
Mining the Moon’s Water: Q & A with Shackleton Energy’s Bill Stone
http://www.space.com/9430-solar-system-start-moon.html
Want to Mine the Solar System? Start With the Moon
Columbus took his plan first to Genoa and then to Venice but was rejected there too. He then went to the Spanish monarchy of Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand of Aragon, in 1486. Their nautical experts too were skeptical and initially, Columbus was rejected. The idea however, must have intrigued the monarchs, for they kept Columbus on a retainer. But their focus was on a war with the Muslims and Columbus would have to wait.
Columbus continued to lobby the royal court and soon after the Spanish army captured the last Muslim stronghold in Granada in January of 1492, the monarchs agreed to finance his expedition. In August of 1492, Columbus left Spain in the Santa Maria, with the Pinta and the Niña along side. After thirty-six days of sailing, Columbus and several crewmen set foot on an island in the present day Bahamas, claiming it for Spain.
http://www.biography.com/people/christopher-columbus-9254209
The failure of Roanoke was expensive, and, with the war against Spain still raging, Elizabeth made it clear that there was no money for colonization ventures. When peace came in 1604, private funds rather than the royal treasury financed English settlement in North America.
I’m sure glad these fellas didn’t get laughed at...
Seems to me Columbus being backed by the monarchs is similar to our gov’t backed apollo 11 mission in 1969.
The English settlement of North America through private investments would be similar to Shackleton Energy, Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites using private investments to man the moon.
The money that gov’t/tax payers would contribute would be after the mission is accomplished—they win prize money—that prize money would come from existing NASA budget, apx 10%.
I think if NASA quit doing Muslim feel good stuff, all sorts of Global Warming bunk, trim a few other areas, NASA probably wouldn’t even feel the pinch at all.