Re: Whole Earth and Roamer

From: Eric Chomko (echomko_at__at_polaris.umuc.edu)
Date: 07/19/04 

Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 16:48:15 +0000 (UTC)

Old Physics (skearney7@earthlink.net) wrote:
: Joe Strout <joe@strout.net> wrote in message news:<joe-B4E4BD.18541617072004@comcast.dca.giganews.com>...
: > In article <13fd3446.0407171227.51829715@posting.google.com>,
: > skearney7@earthlink.net (Old Physics) wrote:
: >
: > > We have had three sucessful rovers operating on mars, why none on
: > > the moon?
: >
: > Because until very recently, the moon was taboo at NASA since the Apollo
: > days. This is one of many very huge, egregious mistakes made by the
: > space program.
: >
: > > A trip around tranquility base or ultimatly around the moon
: > > (with an orbiting transponder) might be just the ticket for armchair
: > > astronauts to contemplate a renewed commitment to the final frontier.
: > > It's worth discussing.
: >
: > It's worth contributing to, as well. Have you bought your Trailblazer
: > content yet?
: >
: > (I confess I haven't, mainly because they refuse to give anything like a
: > believable schedule -- it has been 6-12 months away for years now. But
: > I still remain cautiously optimistic that they will eventually launch,
: > and if they had a firm and believable launch date, I'd probably make a
: > purchase.)
: >
: > Best,
: > - Joe
: >
: > ,------------------------------------------------------------------.
: > | Joseph J. Strout Check out the Mac Web Directory: |
: > | joe@strout.net http://www.macwebdir.com |
: > `------------------------------------------------------------------'

: Applied Space Resources had a plan to return about 10kg of lunar
: material. The target date was for Sep. 2000. Apparently a rock from
: the soviet luna mission of 1970, of about 200 mg, sold for more than
: $400000. At that price, twenty two pounds of rocks would sell for ten
: billion bucks. Samples retrieved from the surface should show the
: characterstic of micrometeorite impacts, from all angles, on the top
: side.

But you know that with more supply the demand would go down as well giving
cheaper prices. And if it could be done once it could be done again.

But that doesn't mean that "rock hounds" wouldn't shell out what is needed
to start and maintain a "Lunology" collection of sorts. First the wealthy
and institutions and then the rest of us. :)

: The pitting could be authenticated under a scanning electron
: microscope, even its age since deposition could be estimated. It
: might even be possible to make an SEM that would work in the natural
: vacuum. A down payment for the actual return to earth might be made
: when the rock is put in the basket.
: While I hope Transorbital's trablazer is a success, I don't will
: be nearly the market for pictures of the moon from orbit that there
: would be for the earth from orbit, or from a rover on the moon's
: surface. Revisiting the eagle or Tarus Littrow will appear far more
: majestic from a two ft eye level.

You know going back just to see where we were 35 years ago is enough
reason. Heck add in the new exploration aspects, as a test for a return
mission to Mars, and you really have some value.

: Given the press for what noone would call Rutan's folly, a mission
: with HD video 24/7 during the lunar day, might just have legs. A
: legend on its own dime.

I wouldn't call Rutan's suborbital flight "folly". But since the last
shuttle mission was a year and a half ago it stands to reason that the
press would be sympathetic.

Eric

: Thanks for your post,
: Stephen kearney

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