[extropy-chat] Moon landing anniversary

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Eliezer Yudkowsky <sentience at pobox.com> wrote:
> 35 years ago today, on July 20th 1969, humans walked on the Moon.
> 
> http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/apollo/apollo11/index.html
> 
> Let's hope it wasn't our all-time high point.

Well, given recent events, I'd say not. Putting a probe into orbit
around Saturn is way cooler, and SpaceShipOne is the Scott Carpenter
stage of private manned flight. As for Bush's initiative to return to
the moon, I'd say the govt should stay out, outside of offering X-Prize
type rewards to the first private acheivements such as:

$50 million: First private reusable orbiter with three men,  relaunched
within two weeks

$100 million: First tourist orbiter, minimum 10 paying passengers, 6
months continuous service of at least one launch per month.

$250 million: First operational hotel in space, in service for one
year, average occupancy 10 guests.

$500 million: First private moon landing, crew of three.

$1 billion per year, for ten years: First operational moon base, with
payments continuing so long as base is occupied by at least 5 persons
at all times.

$1 billion: Manned mission to Mars.

This is all way cheaper than having NASA do it, and will likely result
with multiple competing systems being developed for each prize category.

=====
Mike Lorrey
Chairman, Free Town Land Development
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                         -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Sadomikeyism


	
		
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