current events argument: should the moon be mined

[meow]

Originally posted by Irrelevant


it has a lot of materials that are rare on earth, due to the difference in atmosphere and environment. for example, hydrogen-3, and apparently things that are useful for rocket fuel.

wow, rocket fuel! i have a lot of use for that!

I think they should do some exploratory mining, but not to the effect that it will actually harm the moon. Say you can only mine 1/8 of it or something,

[killed radio star]

Originally posted by THRILLHO
i don't really see how any resource supply on the moon is important enough to justify the billions and billions of dollars and the several years it would take to build and transport the gear and the mass quantites of minerals and possibly the men to the moon and back to earth.

otherwise, why not.

as for detonating all the nuclear weapons in the center of the moon, that'd be an awesome movie plot.

Helium-3 is a gas. you don't need much storage space to cart a lot of it around. Furthermore, you don't need very much to get it to work as an exceptionally efficient fusion source (assuming we can uh, get fusion to work efficiently :erm)

[meow]

I do not have enought information on said topic to make an intellegent, informed decision. I do however beleive that everything has its niche in the grand scheme of things and maybe we should leave it alone until we find out the moon's entire duty.

[spa ced]

Originally posted by meow
I do not have enought information on said topic to make an intellegent, informed decision. I do however beleive that everything has its niche in the grand scheme of things and maybe we should leave it alone until we find out the moon's entire duty.

There is a witch amongst us.

[THRILLHO]

By 1964, experts say man will have established twelve colonies on the moon, ideal for family vacations.

The moon belongs to America, and anxiously awaits the arrival of our astro-men. Will you be among them?

[BeautifulLoser]

Originally posted by sppunk
NASA is fucked. That is all I can/will say, but will add this short rant:

Going to the moon is great. Going to Mars is fantastic. However, get your goddamn priorities right and build a new shuttle that was not built in the mid 70s and can safely trasnport astronauts back and forth. Once that happens, the speed of missions will increase as will the public support. The more tragedy and close-calls they have the less the public will support NASA.

After being around the NASA administration for two months last February, everyone is aware of this except the Cabinet and Administration that supplies funds and gives orders.

Or the government could wait until we're not IN A TRILLION DOLLAR DEBT CRISIS AND AT WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST

[Mayfuck]

That moon money's mine, McCracken.

[Irrelevant]

Originally posted by killed radio star


3He, also known as Helium-3. If fusion is possible as a source of energy, this is our most likely fuel. its fusion temperature is relatively low.

There's enough 3He up there to pretty much power us into extinction. The process for extraction is rather simple too; it's not like you're drilling for oil. the element is deposited into the surface soil (called regolith), and can be returned to a gas form by crushing regolith into finer powder.

yeah, that's what i meant.

[skippy]

Haha, you primitive earth people amuse me. I say we take anything and everything of value right out of that unsightly rock before the Russians get their filthy hands on it. Earth's moon is a fucking joke anyway. Now the Jovian moons, that's where the real potential lies...

[Debaser]

the space program reaps many benefits.

http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html

[pastor]

Originally posted by THRILLHO
By 1964, experts say man will have established twelve colonies on the moon, ideal for family vacations.

The moon belongs to America, and anxiously awaits the arrival of our astro-men. Will you be among them?

I resent you posting excerpts from my Christmas newsletter without my permission.