Why go to the moon at all? You're at the bottom of a gravity well, and there are other places that are more accessible. For instance, asteroids are mainly metals and rock. It would be relatively easy to go to a somewhat large one, put a mass driver on it, and start refining the metals. Use the slag as the propellent, and direct the thing into orbit around the earth. Then by the time you get to the earth, what you have left is mainly refined and processed metals, foamed steel and other stuff you simply cannot create on earth.
larry At 11:03 AM 2/3/03 -0400, you wrote: >Wouldn't they have to explore before they are able to exploit? > >For example doing...stuff...on the moon would mean setting up a moon >base which would mean research and development in technologies to enable >sucha thing. Even if the final goal is exploitation and profit...the >world would have the technology to explore in the future as a result of >that. > >Perhaps privitisation is the way to go...make it profitable or have the >promise of profit to go into space and perform exploration..and people >will pay to get it done. > >-Gel > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Larry C. Lyons [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > >Its really hard to say. Given the sheer expense of simply getting people > >and equipment into orbit. We're still in the equivalent of the late >middle >ages - around the time of Columbus and John Cabot - all the early >expeditions were government funded. Until we get beyond the equivalent >of a >50 foot boat, I'm not sure whether a full privatization of space is >feasible. Also, the attitude of many companies would be on exploitation, > >not in exploration, which is the more important of the two. > >larry > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Your ad could be here. Monies from ads go to support these lists and provide more resources for the community. http://www.fusionauthority.com/ads.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
