Drunk Astronauts
07-28-2007 | 09:30 PM
#21
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From: BE-20, RA390
Companies can frequently make money any way they want. NASA has already sent multiple unmanned probes to Mars for a reasonable $700-$800 million, total cost. They collected much more data than a manned mission to Mars can ever hope to. The Moon/Mars initiative is a 30 year program, and is supposed to cost $400 billion. But some number crunchers at NASA, who are familiar with NASA cost overrun history, estimate it to be closer to $800 billion, or even more. (I've heard a trillion, and for what, exactly?) Let's see, it went to two primary contractors, with NASA essentially administering it. Those two contractors will be making some serious money. Even if it never flies (and there's a good chance it won't - I may not live long enough to find out), there's serious money in that program for "private companies". One of the sure fire mechanisms for the profit in that program will be the circular argument between everyone: "Oh, its those TCO's" (Technical change orders).
There are two ways that I can think of where a private company can profit from space.
1. Launching commercial satelites/maintaining them.
2. Being a contractor for the government.
Stand alone, no government involved, I don't see space exploration being a worthwile concern.
07-29-2007 | 06:20 AM
#22
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From: Fifth floor, window
Indeed, you are so right. Private: do the satellite launches/maintenance or a government contractor. Said private companies would have gone into exploration themselves if there was real profit it it. Instead its more of a free-money situation - kind of a tax money pipeline. I'm all for responsible space work, its interesting stuff (particularly astro-biology) but the scale of the new exploration and the cost compared to the worth really boggles me. Was there any real debate on this program? No. It was announced spring of '04 - other things were (and are still) going on at the time - so it slipped under the radar. I wonder what public polls (for what they are worth) would have indicated? :"You're going to send one person to Mars for how much?!" Yeah, perhaps its all an ulterior motive on my part: I wouldn't mind my job/career back. I just thought what I was working in (civil aviation safety research) had a better payoff per citizen. Sorry if this isn't about drunk astronauts.
07-29-2007 | 10:35 PM
#24
Line Holder
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From: C172 Left
07-30-2007 | 01:28 AM
#25
Nice lookin' tree, there!
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Tool-Box, old man
Military aviators never drink the night before a flight 
There is that 12 hour bottle to brief rule and free from all the effects of alcohol...........of course it's adhered to. If true, not surprising but it certainly wouldn't mean an astronaut was loaded going on a mission, at least we hope.
There is that 12 hour bottle to brief rule and free from all the effects of alcohol...........of course it's adhered to. If true, not surprising but it certainly wouldn't mean an astronaut was loaded going on a mission, at least we hope.
I thought it was 50 feet!fbh
07-30-2007 | 04:17 AM
#26
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From: captain
Very good point. Thanks to Bert Rutan (brilliant aviation engineer and winner of the x prize) Richard Branson will start space flights in 2010 to the general public for $200,000 a seat. All this to orbit the earth a few times. There is a 2 year waiting list. So, yes there is money to be made in space. It is just that the people making the money, already have it.
07-30-2007 | 05:32 AM
#27
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From: BE-20, RA390
You are correct. Scenic rides into orbit is possible for hire.
Burt Rutan and Richard Branson are orbiting the earth a few times. We have conquered low earth orbit already.
When you talk about space exploration, that is quite another deal. I am highly skeptical about the success of Virgin Galactic beyond a novelty.
Very good point. Thanks to Bert Rutan (brilliant aviation engineer and winner of the x prize) Richard Branson will start space flights in 2010 to the general public for $200,000 a seat. All this to orbit the earth a few times. There is a 2 year waiting list. So, yes there is money to be made in space. It is just that the people making the money, already have it.
When you talk about space exploration, that is quite another deal. I am highly skeptical about the success of Virgin Galactic beyond a novelty.
Last edited by GauleyPilot; 07-30-2007 at 05:39 AM.
07-30-2007 | 05:48 AM
#28
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Drinking aboard MIR by cosmonauts...
Cosmonaut Alexander Poleshchuk, who flew aboard the Mir space station in 1993, told newspapers of removing panels to hunt for bottles of cognac squirreled away by previous tenants.
07-30-2007 | 06:36 AM
#29
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From: captain
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