Very interesting seed crystal, JHB. "Space Exploration Is Us" $10^9 / $50 is only 20,000,000 people. A couple handfuls of $10^7 advertizing contracts (website, rocket sides, imprinted solar panels, etc), and you're much closer. Soneone say, "Lets do it!" Jack
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday 30 November 2001 10:00 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Is it all for nothing? In a message dated 11/28/2001 11:45:11 AM Alaskan Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: OK, I've thought about our current "situation" (recall we may lose all near-future outer solar system projects), consulted with a few wise colleagues, and I think the best course of action is to support everything proposed. Yep, Pluto probes, Europa orbiters, and even the ISS. We're idiots to think the money saved by killing off our perceived lemons will somehow result in more money better spent on our favorites. The government will just use the savings elsewhere, like on a new highway, or more bombs for you-know-where. So, I support it all. And, I urge you to do the same, and soon. Write to your Congressional reps. and tell them that all these projects are the best ever, and you don't want to see any of them cancelled. Anything space-related is good (of course, some are more gooder than others, wink, wink). Quit being a damned beggar. You can't be the only person interested in space technology: I'd warrant there are millions out there. Now, with the internet, you can reach them. Start a non-profit. Collect a $10 donation from every space geek out there. When you have a nice pile of money, find some off-the-shelf technology and send up your own rocket. Hell, if Robert Clements can figure out how to do it, so can you. Understand: the government sent a man to the moon over THIRTY years ago. They've done nothing significant since, other than a few unmanned space probes. (Yes, yes, probes are more efficient, etc... but for mass support you gotta send up heroes). If you rely on the government to support space welfare, you'll still be going nowhere in 20 years time. We have the launch tech. We have the mass communication media necessary for funding. We have a global pool of technicians who could conceivably contribute. The question is, do we have the guts to go forward WITHOUT a government handout? -- JHB == You are subscribed to the Europa Icepick mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Project information and list (un)subscribe info: http://klx.com/europa/
