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#1 Re: Human missions » Thinkmars - Thinkmars » 2003-07-14 12:38:56

Hi

I was wondering if someone knew whatever happen to Mit's Thinkmars website. I wanted to download a copy of their business plan for a manned mars mission. Their website is gone. I tried www.thinkmars.net and thinkmars.mit.edu but niether worked. Speaking of business plans for manned space exploration other than LunaCorp (group who wants a base on the moon) does anyone know of any others who have their business plans online. Thanks.

#2 Re: Human missions » Money ? - Where are we going to get the money ? » 2003-06-09 06:16:36

I agree but it has start somewhere. The government (ours, someone elses) or an government agency such as NASA isn't in my view isn't going to start a project like this. It is going to take a private business who in turn can get the government to work with them, then  maybe we will have a chance for a real manned mission.

#3 Re: Human missions » Money ? - Where are we going to get the money ? » 2003-06-08 15:32:52

Money ?

I have looked a few different ideas for rising money to fund a manned mar missions. In addition to looking at these ideas I also checked out previous post on the topic of money and here's what I discoverd.

1. Space Settlement Initiative : Selling land on mars to rise money for missions.

Problems : No legal basis to support it. No one owns mars or the moon for that matter so how can you sell land. You don't own it. I know that there are companies selling spots on the moon and are making some money. But that's dumb. To me ownership mean you actually can go out and touch it. I know someone could say something about stocks or bonds. But you have the paper that proves you own it and most important that paper has legal grounds.

2. Nonprofits/ Nonprofit Funds/Mars Funds/Mar Prize (Similar to the X-Prize.

Great Ideas. But we're talking about trying to rise a ton of money. 

3. Selling bonds. Someone brought up this idea a while back. I read the post and got the feeling (I could be wrong. Sorry in advance but thats my feeling.) people didn't think that would work for the following the reasons:

1. The investor would have to wait for years before ever seeing a return if there was one.

2. Legal trouble involved in trying to sell bonds.

3. You would end up paying a ton of interest to the person and therefore never have any money for the mission.

I liked the bond idea and think that it could work if someone tried something like this:

1. Issue short-term (5-10 year bonds)
2. Have small bond amts. ($100,$500,$1000,$5000,$10,000,$1,000,000)
3. Make them callable after two maybe three years.
4. Since the bonds would most like be unsecured use a bond sinking fund.
5. Like I said in #4 it is most likely the bonds would be unsecure so in addition to the bond sinking fund put half the money into investments (Stocks, Savings Bonds, other corporate bonds, physical assets like land) and let the investors know about this, that we know that they might be worry about investing in us and that we are taking measures to ensure that they get their money back. Besides providing security for the investor, the investments can also provide us with another source of income. Interest, Dividends, Rent,etc.
6. Limit the number of bonds that certain investors can buy. Regular people can only buy up to maybe $20,000, Small Businesses mayne $20,000 to $50,000. You get the idea.

4. Public company that sells stock on the stock market.

5. Private company using private placements. Selling bonds or stocks.

These were my observations, what do you guys think?

#4 Re: Human missions » MarsFund - Nonprofit fund » 2002-10-16 17:22:49

Hey,

I was looking at the Xprize Foundation's website today and started thinking about this.  They are using contest to stimulate commercial and private passenger space flight for the average person by signing up groups to design and build working space shuttles. The part that got my attention was all the people who are sponsoring them.  Maybe a similiar organization could be form to collect money to pay for a mars mission. Nonprofits from what I read can start and own a for-profit corporation as long as it doesn't take away from their original mission. The organization could collect the money to fund the startup of the company to do the mars mission well at the same time education the public on the benefits of space exploration.  Come on look at all the technology and development that have resulted from the space industry. Any ideas.

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