http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/12/international/asia/12space.html
Two men, five days in low earth orbit.
The two statements from the article which stood out to me were from Chinese commentators:
(1) "There is great commercial potential on the moon."
and:
(2) "America's strategy is to lure China into a space race, and to drain China's resources so it will collapse, without a war."
(1) Um, really? Am I missing something here? Honestly, the first things which spring to my mind are tourism, low gravity (for medical reasons --> longer life in some severe cases?), and a great platform for astronomy - *none* of which I'd qualify as "great". Especially to China.
(2) Actually (1) was part of a reply as to why (2) was not true. But it begs the question, who is luring who? Particularly since China has become one of the USA's larger creditors.
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i think my article about the 4000 year old noodles was more tasteful.
1) Since Americans were there first, don't we in a sence own the moon?
2) Some individual in China thinks we want another cold war?
Both the US and China are dependant on each other. China's economey would be in shambles if we stopped buying things from them, and we would be out of cheap toys/thingamabobs.
Edited, Thu Oct 13 15:53:52 2005 by fenderputy
2) Some individual in China thinks we want another cold war?
Both the US and China are dependant on each other. China's economey would be in shambles if we stopped buying things from them, and we would be out of cheap toys/thingamabobs.
Edited, Thu Oct 13 15:53:52 2005 by fenderputy
No one "owns" the moon per some treaty or another that I'm too lazy to look up. Granted, perhaps not every nation has signed it but all the ones remotely capable of reaching the moon have so it's a moot point whether or not the Congo wants to claim the vast resources of rocks and more rock that the moon holds.
Aside from the view, there isn't a hell of a lot of reason to hang out on the moon right now. Eventually it may make for a nice launching platform but that's assuming we have a pressing reason to launch crafts to other places and have them return. Having them return is essential since, the entire surface of Io could be make of solidifed oil* but it does us no good sitting on Io. Since we hold our breath each time a craft even lands on an extraterrestial surface, much less can we expect it to extract anything, store a payload, and come back in one piece the idea of using the moon as a launching base is still a pipedream. There might be some military application to a lunar base if we're willing to renege on multiple treaties, but I don't know if there's much you can do from the moon that you can't do from orbit and it's not as if we could stealthily place a giant laser cannon in Mares Tranquilis.
Mind of, of course, that this is still a step we'll need to get out of the way if we ever hope to move out into space in any limited fashion beyond what we're doing now, but there's no sense in getting into a space race over it.
*Yes, I know it's impossible. I was making a point
Aside from the view, there isn't a hell of a lot of reason to hang out on the moon right now. Eventually it may make for a nice launching platform but that's assuming we have a pressing reason to launch crafts to other places and have them return. Having them return is essential since, the entire surface of Io could be make of solidifed oil* but it does us no good sitting on Io. Since we hold our breath each time a craft even lands on an extraterrestial surface, much less can we expect it to extract anything, store a payload, and come back in one piece the idea of using the moon as a launching base is still a pipedream. There might be some military application to a lunar base if we're willing to renege on multiple treaties, but I don't know if there's much you can do from the moon that you can't do from orbit and it's not as if we could stealthily place a giant laser cannon in Mares Tranquilis.
Mind of, of course, that this is still a step we'll need to get out of the way if we ever hope to move out into space in any limited fashion beyond what we're doing now, but there's no sense in getting into a space race over it.
*Yes, I know it's impossible. I was making a point
Belkira wrote:
Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
Jophiel wrote:
There might be some military application to a lunar base if we're willing to renege on multiple treaties, but I don't know if there's much you can do from the moon that you can't do from orbit and it's not as if we could stealthily place a giant laser cannon in Mares Tranquilis.
With a moonbase you can build a phalanx allowing you to scan each country on earth without their knowledge, and know exactly what their fleets are doing.
I'm assuming you mean "phalanx" in some application besides "buncha Greek guys with interlocking shields" but I get lost beyond that. Is this something we can't do with current satellite technology?
Belkira wrote:
Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
Jophiel wrote:
I'm assuming you mean "phalanx" in some application besides "buncha Greek guys with interlocking shields" but I get lost beyond that. Is this something we can't do with current satellite technology?
No, he's bleeding Ogame into Asylum is all
Ahhhhh....
Dorks
Dorks
Belkira wrote:
Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
Jophiel wrote:
Ahhhhh....
Dorks
Dorks
Quote:
With a moonbase you can build a phalanx allowing you to scan each country on earth without their knowledge, and know exactly what their fleets are doing.
I point my throbbing phalanx at your tiny quivering country. You slowly pivot your cold barren moonbase into view. Your fleet hoovers breathlessly just out of reach as I begin to slowly scan it with my phalanx.
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xythex wrote:
Quote:
With a moonbase you can build a phalanx allowing you to scan each country on earth without their knowledge, and know exactly what their fleets are doing.
I point my throbbing phalanx at your tiny quivering country. You slowly pivot your cold barren moonbase into view. Your fleet hoovers breathlessly just out of reach as I begin to slowly scan it with my phalanx.
You sick, sick man.
RACK that.
Quote:
it's not as if we could stealthily place a giant laser cannon in Mares Tranquilis.
Even if it was attached to a frikkin sharks head?
that would be cool
How could forget how the loonies attack earth in my favorite Heinlein novel, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.
In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair! -ElneClare
This Post is written in Elnese, If it was an actual Post, it would make sense.
This Post is written in Elnese, If it was an actual Post, it would make sense.
I'm not at all startled that China is getting into the space race. After all, they're the ones who were strapping rockets to chairs before all us roundeyes had so much as heard of gunpowder.
I'm also sort of glad. If anyone can manage to make space flight economically tolerable, the Chinese can. Hell, in 15 years you'll be able to buy a plastic space vehicle at Walmart for a nominal price. Fuel will be separate and they'll check to make sure you're 18 to buy it. Oh, and watch for falling prices.
I'm also sort of glad. If anyone can manage to make space flight economically tolerable, the Chinese can. Hell, in 15 years you'll be able to buy a plastic space vehicle at Walmart for a nominal price. Fuel will be separate and they'll check to make sure you're 18 to buy it. Oh, and watch for falling prices.
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