Mighty Space Miners

Stuff we should click on.  Be sure to state Not Work Safe, if applicable.  KTHX.
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TPRJones
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Post by TPRJones »

http://dailycaller.com/2012....bal-gdp

Welcome to the fucking future!

Finally!
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GORDON
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Post by GORDON »

I hope the first failures won't stifle the concept.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
TPRJones
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Post by TPRJones »

The specific folks behind this one aren't known for giving up too easily.
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GORDON
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Post by GORDON »

Seems like the moon base, first, is a more logical progression. Shallower gravity well with which to go after the asteroids.
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TPRJones
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Post by TPRJones »

Nah, moon base is still steeper than you really want. If you want to establish a base of operations, you'd be best going with L4 and L5. Stable, nor gravity well, at a reasonable distance, and they collect junk you can sift through for useful minerals.

But going for an asteroid and making it profitable will b a much more important goal in terms of economic motivation for future exploration of space.




Edited By TPRJones on 1335445848
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GORDON
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Post by GORDON »

I know what you mean by L4/L5, but wouldn't the moon be a better home base, as you can tunnel down and have all of the natural radiation shielding you want, not to mention H3, H2O, mysterious black monoliths, etc. Put your refinery on the moon and ship the shit to Earth with maglev sleds, and use L4/L5 as your base for retrieving asteroids.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
TPRJones
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Post by TPRJones »

Oh, don't get me wrong, a moon base would be great, too. For all the reasons you mention and more. But it wouldn't be a Gateway to the Solar System nearly as efficiently as L4/L5 would be.
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GORDON
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Post by GORDON »

Well you certainly aren't going to build an interplanetary ship on the moon. For that a LaGrange Point is perfect.
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GORDON
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Post by GORDON »

Speaking of moon bases, I have an idea on how to build one.

A few robots that can perform simple tasks:

- Grade a field.
- Bore a hole.
- Excavate a subterranean room.
- Panel/melt/otherwise reinforce a regolith wall.

I would love to build models of those things as a proof of concept, but I don't have the engineering skillz. I'd love to write the code for it, though.

Purely autonomous robots... not this remote-control-Mars-rover bullshit.

A few soft landings on the moon, and 6 months later you have a large underground chamber ready to act as living quarters, storage, radiation shielding, or whatever for incoming colonists.

It's so simple and obvious.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
TPRJones
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Post by TPRJones »

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Malcolm
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Post by Malcolm »

TPRJones wrote:The specific folks behind this one aren't known for giving up too easily.
First time for everything.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
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