What could..

[owenander]

the private community do with $1.6 billion in terms of space exploration? My mind was wondering during class! How long would it take a private company to establish a colony on the Moon for say $1 billion? Would it take 14 years?

 

[scottb50]

It could be done in 5, but it would take a lot more than $1.6 bilion. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[j05h]

$1.6 Billion could buy you a Mars Flyby, maybe a very spartan Mars-orbit station. Or establish a basic HEEO/L1 fuel depot. Or a solar forge for automatically building trusses out of discarded 3d stages and old sats.$1.6 B would probably be enough to completely develop a hard-suit/robotics construction hardware or highly-capable rover (Jim Cameron type). Or, you could be like Lockheed and Kistler and burn through it without flying squat. It's a lot of money, there's lots of possibilities. <br /><br />I think the bigger question is how does the New Space community earn that $1.6 Billion? I'm not terribly interested in government handouts. Prizes are cool, but I'm way more excited about selling actual products and services to customers. That is the sustainable way to space.<br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

1.6 Billion could get a good start on a Bigelow space station. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[owenander]

It will be interesting when private spacecraft are sold to the general public, I think the rocket racing league will really help out in that sector. I wonder how much one of those would go for? I know there are people buying cars for over a million...

 

[owenander]

oh yea, and we're talking $1.6 billion annually, not just a one time deal =)

 

[Boris_Badenov]

1.6 Billion per year could get you to the Moon in 3 years without any problems. You could even set up some infrastructure in orbit at both ends. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>