Re: Antigravity Technology Inventor Speaks Out

From: Damon Hill (damon1six1_at_comcast.not)
Date: 10/25/04 

Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 15:37:48 -0500

"Jeff Findley" <jeff.findley@ugs.nojunk.com> wrote in
news:DNcfd.620$b%5.88@fe37.usenetserver.com:
 
> It may be "the real thing", but it's a private club. US citizens
> can't buy a ride on the shuttle at any price. SS2 promises to open up
> space travel to anyone who can afford the $200k price tag.

$200,000 for a few minutes of weightlessness? That's no bargain,
nor much of an accomplishment even at a tenth of the price.

Sorry, I can only see symbolism here, not substance.

>> Rutan et al have so far managed to send one man on a low-energy
>> joyride just outside of the atmosphere for a few minutes. It's not
>> clear when, if ever, they will accomplish much more than that. I'd
>> like to think eventually they could, but that's still in the
>> indefinite future.
>
> Over the past 30+ years, NASA has not sent anyone beyond LEO. As far
> as manned space exploration goes, LEO is NOT the real deal. It's just
> going around in endless circles.

Lots better than a short joyride at ten times my annual income. That's
not real for me, personally. When they can offer orbital flights for
that amount of money, that'll be real progress--especially if it
includes a station visit. The Russians charge $20 million for that
service now and that's not realistic either.
 
>> NASA has been giving us a >lot< more for our money. And given the
>> amount of money involved, they'd better have.
>
> Over the past 30+ years, NASA has spent something like 4 ORDERS OF
> MAGNITUDE more money than Rutan has spent on SS1, and they're still
> stuck in LEO. That's not a successful manned space exploration
> program, that's stagnation.

You want lunar and Mars colonies, right? You'll have to settle for
the space station for the time being. It's still far more than
private enterprise has attempted to accomplish. And NASA can do only
so much as Congress funds it to, by extension, how much the public
supports the idea. So far they haven't supported the necessary
trillions for those grand schemes.

Reality check in 20 years, okay? There's change in the wind. Too
bad I won't be around for that.

--Damon, 54 and not very healthy

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