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#76 Re: Human missions » Q: Ownership of hardware on Mars - Setting up shop... » 2004-02-26 13:22:13
They expanded further on that agreement (made in 1967) in the 1979 [http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/SpaceLaw/moontxt.html]Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies. The agreement was only finally ratified in 1984, however. To date only 10 States have ratified this UN agreement, with 5 additional signatures.
Article 11, par 3 states "Neither the surface nor the subsurface of the moon, nor any part thereof or natural resources in place, shall become property of any State, international intergovernmental or non- governmental organization, national organization or non-governmental entity or of any natural person. The placement of personnel, space vehicles, equipment, facilities, stations and installations on or below the surface of the moon, including structures connected with its surface or subsurface, shall not create a right of ownership over the surface or the subsurface of the moon or any areas thereof "
#77 Re: Human missions » Q: Ownership of hardware on Mars - Setting up shop... » 2004-02-26 13:08:28
If you refer to [http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/treat/ost/ost.html]this: point three states outer space (this presumably includes other planets) cannot be claimed by any nation.
Hence if a private organization were to build a base, it cannot be expropriated by a government. The statement is vague on whether a company can own property, but I suspect not. They will only own the infrastructure (i.e. you can own the house, but not the land).
#78 Re: Intelligent Alien Life » One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask? » 2004-02-26 12:48:52
Thank you! Thank you! I'm just happy to be here! <insert fake smile here> 
Actually the answer to "Why" is just "Because." :;):
Anyway: If you know that the alien can answer your questions you can figure out how to have him answer it. I'm sure the more devious / deranged minds on this planet can figure out how to do that ... Of course if the alien says no ... off to find the next alien that can ... Simple.
#79 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Ion Propulsion » 2004-02-26 12:06:21
Maybe directed compressed gas? I think the Shuttle uses something like that for orbital maneuvering.
#80 Re: Intelligent Alien Life » One question, what would it be? - Contact with an ET, what would you ask? » 2004-02-26 11:48:06
Well ... why not ask it (the alien that is) to answer all your questions ... ?
Or maybe just : "Why?"
(Nice and metaphysical)
#81 Re: Interplanetary transportation » cargo for mass produced launch vehicles - shut down yucca mountain divert » 2004-02-25 20:54:33
Good idea - the Greens will cry blue murder, though ...
#82 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Ion Propulsion » 2004-02-25 12:36:06
I think infocat is referring to the fact that NASA would need to have a controlled descent for HST as it represents to high a risk for impacting populated areas. As HST does not have this capabilities in itself, hence they will have to design a "deorbit" module than can autonomously attach to HST and deorbit.
One of the arguments used against deorbiting the HST was because the servicing mission and this "deorbit" module would have cost about the same. (Total spent on the servicing mission to date is around 200+ million, about 500 budgeted.)
And since the HST was not designed to be docked with, there is the possibility that designing this module might be more expensive than doing the servicing mission.
#83 Re: Human missions » Bush and Space - Bush and Space » 2004-02-25 12:27:07
Just sounds a bit scary - that bit about "withhold[ing] information"
Well at least the White House is doing something in follow-up to the nice speech.
#84 Re: Not So Free Chat » Flicks - ...other than sci-fi » 2004-02-25 12:22:40
Sad to say, but most of the Animatrix was better than the two sequels of "The Matrix". I've not even bothered to go watch the last one in the trilogy.
Another great movie: "Ghost in the Shell" ...
#85 Re: Not So Free Chat » Flicks - ...other than sci-fi » 2004-02-25 10:27:08
Movies that catch the watcher off guard are almost always successful - just think of "The Sixth Sense" (Pity the rest M Night Shyamalan's movies weren't as good)
It seems Kevin Spacey is either an uber-bad guy or a sickly sweet good buy. Ever see "Pay it forward" ? <shudder>
#86 Re: Human missions » Bush and Space - Bush and Space » 2004-02-25 08:04:05
Anybody have any idea what this is about?[http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/02/20040224-8.html]Statement by the President
#87 Re: Human missions » Retiring the Shuttle ASAP - How do we do it? » 2004-02-25 07:53:53
Just wondering ... maybe another obfuscation for converting the Orbiter into Shuttle-C???
Fluid enough, right?
#88 Re: Not So Free Chat » Flicks - ...other than sci-fi » 2004-02-24 17:56:55
Jumping back a couple of posts (ok ... more than a couple)
It's funny that the Germans should complain - the Goths (the proto-Germans) eventually went on to burn down Rome - and started the Dark Ages. From my knowledge, the depiction in "Gladiator" was not that far off either.
Germany, as we know it, is actually a fairly recent state - before the early 19th century (or there abouts - can't quite remember...) Germany was mostly divided into a lot of squabbling little kingdoms.
My greatest movie of all time? The first one that comes to mind is "The Usual Suspects".
#89 Re: Human missions » Retiring the Shuttle ASAP - How do we do it? » 2004-02-19 17:14:49
As noted in the article from my prior post, changed mission parameters for the JIMO have upped the launch weight to about 50,000 kgs - too much for the Delta VI Heavy.
Shuttle-C is just a consideration - the article also noted that they would consider on-orbit assembly.
My point from the article was that NASA was not ignoring the possibility of a Shuttle-C variant. I'm not sure: but is this not a change in policy for them? Have they in the recent past publicaly considered the use of SDV's?
#90 Re: Human missions » Retiring the Shuttle ASAP - How do we do it? » 2004-02-19 13:54:40
In the article posted on space.com today (http://www.space.com/businesstechnology … 40219.html) the project head noted that they may need to investigate alternative launch methods - including Shuttle-C - to launch JIMO (due to weight concerns)
And this from a NASA source ...