Before Nasa.

[pioneer0333]

Do you think NASA would get mad if a private space agency goes to the moon before they go again. I mean I see many billions being made by mining for natural resources on the moon or on some close by asteroid. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[pyoko]

On the contrary, NASA is encouraging the private sector to develop technology, so that they would not have to do all the work themselves. The first private craft to reach an orbit already received prize money from NASA. NASA is now offering prize money for the first group/ person to make a working prototype of a machine that converts Moon dust to oxygen.<br /><br />I think the closest mineable asteroid is too far. Alot further than the moon, for sure. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#ff9900" class="Apple-style-span">-pyoko</span> <span style="color:#333333" class="Apple-style-span">the</span> <span style="color:#339966" class="Apple-style-span">duck </span></p><p><span style="color:#339966" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color:#808080;font-style:italic" class="Apple-style-span">It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.</span></span></p> </div>

 

[pioneer0333]

In that case, I would love to build a new and very efficient generator to supply electricity to the next lunar lander. But who would listen? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

In other words, you wish to be a subcontractor/supplier to the lunar lander's prime contractor? If it's a NASA one, you need to submit a bid for that work (just look at the hullabaloo surrounding the Katrina relief contracting to see how politically unsavory a no-bid contract can get). Most likely, you'd have to wait for an RFP (Request For Proposals) before doing that, because that's what starts the ball rolling to fund such work.<br /><br />However, if you're proposing this for private enterprise, you're going to have to find out who's building a lunar lander (or some other device that could also use your generator) and start doing the marketing work to sell your idea. That is, you're going to have to talk to a lot of companies and try to convince them why it will make good financial sense for them to hire you as a subcontractor to supply this generator. That's not easy, I'm afraid, so you'll have your work cut out for you. People with great ideas have spent decades trying to sell them, and they're not always successful. Take aerospike engines, a great idea first tested by Rocketdyne in the '60s. But it's still just a collection of test engines occasionally fired in static test stands. It's never been flown. Nobody wants to buy it, for whatever reason.<br /><br />If you're interested as an individual in getting involved with this sort of technology, however, it may be easier. Get a degree in electrical engineering first of all, possibly paired with other degrees. Then start looking for work at companies that are in this market. One caveat: if you come up with something while employed at such a company, they will probably get to hold any patents for the technology. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>