Sights are off the moon, and maybe put away for good.

[mgb_phys]

A 1/2km sphere of nickel/iron would be about 2million tons
At $50,000/kg for the shuttle to put metal up there, it's worth an extra $100Bn to leave it in orbit.

To the poster complaining about wasting money in space, for the $700Bn admitted hand out to wall st - you could put 15million tons of iron into GTO with a fleet of shuttles or 50M tons using commercial launchers.
Not sure why you would to do this - but it probably makes more sense than giving it to Wall St.

 

[MotoH]

Well we can shop around while we are out there. There has to be asteroids with shiny bits on them that people will pay big bucks for!

 

[zomgwtf]

why so much? i thought most of NASAs costs were from labour.

 

[Char. Limit]

Some of the world's greatest inventions have happened when people said "screw cost-benefit, let's do it anyway!"

 

[zomgwtf]

Some of the world's greatest inventions have happened when people said "screw cost-benefit, let's do it anyway!"

Did any of these people see fortunes of their inventions during their lifetimes? :tongue:

 

[Cyrus]

Some of the world's greatest inventions have happened when people said "screw cost-benefit, let's do it anyway!"

I'm curious as to what inventions in particular you had in mind.

 

[Char. Limit]

Well... I'm sure someone did... just because I can't think of any doesn't mean there are none...

Seriously, though. Why go for a measly asteroid? I've heard rumors that Jupiter's core is a giant diamond. Go for THAT.

Hmm... guns couldn't have seemed very profitable at first...

 

[MotoH]

No, Jupiters core is a colony of Monoliths.

I for one like it to be completely dark at night, and not have a second sun where Jupiter used to be.


2010 references if anyone caught them!

 

[Cyrus]

Well... I'm sure someone did... just because I can't think of any doesn't mean there are none...

Seriously, though. Why go for a measly asteroid? I've heard rumors that Jupiter's core is a giant diamond. Go for THAT.

Hmm... guns couldn't have seemed very profitable at first...

Let's not talk, for the sake of talking.

 

[skippy1729]

A 1/2km sphere of nickel/iron would be about 2million tons
At $50,000/kg for the shuttle to put metal up there, it's worth an extra $100Bn to leave it in orbit.

To the poster complaining about wasting money in space, for the $700Bn admitted hand out to wall st - you could put 15million tons of iron into GTO with a fleet of shuttles or 50M tons using commercial launchers.
Not sure why you would to do this - but it probably makes more sense than giving it to Wall St.

Everything he said. +1

The total NASA budget 1958 to 2008 was only $416 billion, currently less than $20 billion per annum. It is nothing next to the wasteful spending habits of our Congress.

The question is who will survive longer: Earth or Homo Sapiens. Our days on Earth are numbered, of course we have no clue as to what the number is. 10 years, 100 years, a billion years?? Someday our descendants must leave or perish. I feel a greater moral obligation to pursue this goal than some new government giveaway to buy special interest votes or campaign contributions.

The ancient Romans used to buy votes but they had the decency to do it with their own money. Our elected officials continue the custom but do it with other peoples money. To cut the miniscule space budget for the sake of political grandstanding is shameful.

Welcome to the third world.

 

[mheslep]

Welcome to the third world.

Because NASA didn't get a budget? Welcome to Hyperbole World.