Moon colony by 2020, yeah, right

[traveller]

Another day, another bizzar moment.
Newt Gingrich, proposed that, if the Americans elect him president, he will make a colony on the moon by 2020 (http://www.theage.com.au/technology/sci-tech/watch-this-space-republican-candidate-promises-moon-colony-20120127-1qke4.html):screwy::screwy::screwy:
It gets better, he would also make the Moon the 51st State once the population reaches 13,000.
Is it April 1 already :P
Bo

[michaellxv]

Maybe they could ask the Russians to send them there. :rofl:
At least they still have a launch system to put humans into space.

[vanwonky]

They might need extra booster rockets as the population would have doubled in size by then. ;)

[Rodstar]

Hopefully Newt will be one of the colonisers......that way, we would never hear from him again.

[Ric]

It would be nice to see it happen.

Sadly though it's just vote chasing and nothing more.

[Stardrifter_WA]

Newt Gingrich’s Fantasy Moon Base Is Illegal

see full story at Gizmodo:

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2012/01/newt-gingrichs-fantasy-moon-base-is-illegal/#more-509665

[traveller]

Being illegal hasn't stopped a recent war somewhere in the middle east...

[Shark Bait]

I read a document recently that discussed how inadequate the laws surrounding Space were. The paper discussed how the laws need to be updated.

China seem keen to make their claim. It will be interesting to see if this creates another space race.

In my perfect world, a Moon Base would be supported and operated in a similar way to the International Space Station.

[Stardrifter_WA]

Good point!

[ballaratdragons]

My own personal belief is that no particular nation has any right to claim land or sovereignty anywhere in space.

Any claim on any unclaimed/uninhabited Moon/planet/asteroid etc or even region of space, needs to be made in the name of all the people of Planet Earth.

When it comes to space, there should be no 'Americans' or 'Russians' or 'Chinese' or 'Indians' etc.
In space we are Earthlings (or Terrans).

But it won't happen :mad2:

The problem is that because America is losing its status as the so called 'Policemen of the World', they want to establish themselves as the Policemen of Space. :rolleyes:

[traveller]

Agreed Ken, but I doubt the yanks can afford to become police anywhere in the next little while. Most of their foreign exchange reserves are now held by the Chinese.

[pmrid]

What colossal arrogance - to declare that the US has the right to establish a colony AND to appropriate any portion of the moon at US territory. I find it difficult to grasp how anyone could actually formulate that as a serious item of a government's agenda (even in election mode).

Heaven preserve us from such people.

Peter

[Stardrifter_WA]

It is just rhetoric, it will never happen. Just look at the debt America is in now, so where are they going to find the money for such a huge undertaking? Or, perhaps they could stop having wars.....nah, that ain't going to happen.

After all, "War" is natures way of teaching Americans geography! :D

[OICURMT]

Newt should review history before opening his mouth...

1) The Space Shuttle Program started in 1968
2) The first launch of the Shuttle was in 1980

2012 + 12 = 2024 at the earliest. Can they do it faster?

In the famous "tongue in cheek" motto of NASA...

"Better, Faster, Cheaper ............. Pick Two"

[g__day]

On a technical note - I remember reading that a major sun flare would have killed all the astronauts that did moon landings. Even doing the journey puts you at risk. US Scientists charted solar activity and time the landing for peak lows - and hoped no astronauts would die.

Their calucate odds were around 3-4% from recall. Basically a large flare directed towards the Earth / Moon would not be survivable if you didn't have planetary level magnetic shielding to stop high energy particles irradiating you.

I ponder could a deep underground base work - say 50-100 metres or more with large generators powering an E/M shield on the surface help? That would be plenty to stop protons from Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), cosmic rays - no so sure:

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2005/27jan_solarflares/

[Keltik]

Matthew...I remember seeing this photo in the late 60's or early 70's after the astronauts got back from space...a cast of cosmic ray penetrations in a space helmet.http://www.sciencephoto.com/image/140983/530wm/C0078027-Tracks_from_cosmic_rays,_magnified_ 800_ti-SPL.jpg

[pmrid]

If not a buried base, then perhaps one either on the far side or in the polar regions where some craters are in permanent shadow. That was the thesis in one of Arthur Clarke's novels (Sun Storm) I think.

Peter

[deejayvee]

The polar regions would make sense. The far side would get as much sun as the near side though.