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Would you like the idea of Space habitats storage lockers being etched and engraved with poetry, images, words, mathematical formulae, corporate logos, portraits and so forth until every empty space was covered with image and idea?
Would you care about space more as a result?
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Inside or outside?
Could be a good idea on the outside, especially would like to see the names of scientists of the past centuries
engraved.
On the inside it would probably drive the astronauts crazy.
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So, you are saying that living in an art gallery would drive an astronaut crazy. I thought they had real psychology testing for Astronaughts?
I'm being serious. Should the things we send into space and other worlds be engraved with images of Earth cities, Poetry, Kittens, puppies, people? Should they be cultural Objects and not just tools?
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They should feature whatever helps our intepid explorers be comfortable and accomplish their mission, in that order.
As for our unmanned probes, we should include apologies for the first radio signals to be transmitted from Earth... Hitler at the 36 Oylmpics.
"Yes, I was going to give this astronaut selection my best shot, I was determined when the NASA proctologist looked up my ass, he would see pipes so dazzling he would ask the nurse to get his sunglasses."
---Shuttle Astronaut Mike Mullane
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The aliens are unlikely to know what the strange monkey is babbling about in those broadcasts or why Hitler is not neccessarily who humanity would like to be the first ambassador to the stars.
Anyways, as for covering spacestations in stuff, it offends my spartan sense of aesthetics to have such an unseemly cluttered look to everything. No thank you. Make everything sleek and functional. Minimalist.
As for interest in space, it's largely a moot point. I assume the people here are interested in space (if you aren't, why ARE you here?). And as for the general public... well...
In the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, colonization and exploration was a job for nations and rich merchant consortiums. In the 17th Century, however, you started having private groups doing so. I expect a similar progression - by the latter half of this century it will not matter if governments are nearsighted, because determined groups of private citizens will likely have the means to leave. If not then, perhaps later. I'm counting on medical science to keep me alive until that time. :laugh:
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As for interest in space, it's largely a moot point. I assume the people here are interested in space (if you aren't, why ARE you here?). And as for the general public... well...
When I talk about increasing interest in space I refer to increased participation in the overall project. If we decided to make the ISS a culturaly rich icon, would Artists and Universities be able to produce and fund the engraved locker doors on which this art is displayed for all time as it were. Could NASA and other Space programs bring in Funding for the Arts as an investment source? Certainly the private sector would love to have it's logo etched on a door panel before these things are sent into space.
Would this be better considered for such projects as Mars Habitat modules?
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Certainly the private sector would love to have it's logo etched on a door panel before these things are sent into space.
Sell advertising space on probes or space ships in order to fund the missions? It's an interesting idea. Personally I don't like seeing advertising everywhere, and I think it would detract from the idea of a mission being an accomplishment of all mankind. But if I company will pay for a Mars probe on condition that they get to put their logo on it, I'd certainly put aside those complaints and take the offer. It's a small price to pay for getting to Mars.
Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.
-The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
by Douglas Adams
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Lets specify an object. An unpressurized tool and component storage module with everything you need to maintain and repair a generic rover (say the old lunar rover just got a repeat order) would it not be valid to have companies manufacture a generic locker door with their logo and even some corporate art of their people at work etched into the door and ship it off to NASA with say an advertising fee of $10,000 each. if we say there are two hundred component lockers, that gives us an unpressurised garage and tool shed with a couple of unassembeled rovers.
200x10000=$2000000 the construction cost of the empty module. That way NASA need only come up with the launch cost and the components to put in it.
If you tack on an outside panel covering the entire storage module that is engraved with northrop-grummen corporate art with images of the lunar rovers in use during the Apollo years and a twenty million ad fee you have the cost of the parts of the rovers, not only is the art culturaly relevent, it pays for everything but the launch.
One cargo block ready for forward deployment.
As to the corporations. they will do it because it is more than just advertising, it's cultural immortality.
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Actually, instead of some NASCAR-like plaster-it-with-stickers approach, if you're going to commericalize the next step in space, it makes much more sense to simply go to, say, General Motors, and say "We want a Mars rover that can {specifications}. You can make it look as much like a Pontiac/Chevy/GMC/whatever as you want, use the image in advertising as much as you want. We'll spare some astronauts to do the dog-and-pony show at auto conventions. In return, provide us with a few units gratis."
For the rover repair module, simply offer a similar deal: rights to promotional use in exchange for paying for the actual unit. It's NASA's problem to fly it to Mars (or wherever). Some large sign will be put on the side saying "Tire Kingdom" or whatever.
It would look much less busy than your idea, and the promotional value to the corporations is enhanced by its exclusivity.
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Actually, instead of some NASCAR-like plaster-it-with-stickers approach, if you're going to commericalize the next step in space, it makes much more sense to simply go to, say, General Motors, and say "We want a Mars rover that can {specifications}. You can make it look as much like a Pontiac/Chevy/GMC/whatever as you want, use the image in advertising as much as you want. We'll spare some astronauts to do the dog-and-pony show at auto conventions. In return, provide us with a few units gratis."
For the rover repair module, simply offer a similar deal: rights to promotional use in exchange for paying for the actual unit. It's NASA's problem to fly it to Mars (or wherever). Some large sign will be put on the side saying "Tire Kingdom" or whatever.
It would look much less busy than your idea, and the promotional value to the corporations is enhanced by its exclusivity.
:up:
And since I am an advocate of methane/LOX internal combustion rovers, Detroit could also sell some genuine rovers to wealthy Terran space fanatics.
Start with a Hummer or that giant Ford Excursion (and they said the Expedition was an Explorer on steroids) swap in a methane/LOX engine, as much composites as possible, make the doors solid panels with layers of Transhab fabric and put an airlock on the rear door (with the ability to connect to a pressurized trailer) and voila!
A Lunar or Mars rover. . .
Give someone a sufficient [b][i]why[/i][/b] and they can endure just about any [b][i]how[/i][/b]
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Actually, because lightness will be a prime consideration, the rover is likely to have a carbon-fiber frame and whatnot; it won't be possible to adapt a normal, run-of-the-mill vehicle. That doesn't mean there aren't a lot of parts that can't be applied to the project, however. And nothing will prevent whatever automaker is involved from making the rover 'look like' a Chevy/Ford/whatever. There's certain styling cues that scream different makes, and that's just cosmetic detail. Also, on things like the unpressurized rovers nothing is preventing them from going the NASCAR route - built the thing so that it outwardly resembles a full size pickup, even if it is *nothing* like one under the skin.
And yeah, they can make them available for collectors on Earth, too (although it's more likely they'll build a gas-powered version of the unpressurized base rover and market it as a pickup/work type vehicle; collector cars are too low volume for them to bother with)
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Actually, instead of some NASCAR-like plaster-it-with-stickers approach, if you're going to commericalize the next step in space, it makes much more sense to simply go to, say, General Motors, and say "We want a Mars rover that can {specifications}. You can make it look as much like a Pontiac/Chevy/GMC/whatever as you want, use the image in advertising as much as you want. We'll spare some astronauts to do the dog-and-pony show at auto conventions. In return, provide us with a few units gratis."
What I am saying is that we are not just talking about a single corporate sponsor (which is very popular with a short sighted Zubrin) or a NASCAR sticker sponsorship approach. I'm talking about something that is also in reach of groups and individuals who can help fund the colonization infrastructure and contribute culturaly relevent concepts to something that must last beyond it's use. I'm talking about family portraites, burlesqe art, puppies, kittens, religious images, scenery, poetry. These things are the foundation of all culture.
Can you imagine a situation where the bonet of the Nascar was engraved with a Cocacola ad and the individual fenders had washington crossing the deleware (donated by the daughters of the revolution) on one and a scene of workers building a car (funded by the workers union) on the other. It is no longer just a car with stickers. It is culturaly significant in a way that makes it more valuable to the whole world. It's value as individual components then goes on when one day all that is left of it is a part. Even if a single part survived being raced, and wrecked, it becomes more. It becomes historicly significant. As much so as finding a pencil drawn sketch by washington of the crossing of the deleware.
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Art and Culture is something that we will and can take with us when we go into Space and to Mars.
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Of course there's a downside to having your company's or organization's logo on a space craft. If it crashes it won't give your company a good image. Imagine something like the pictures of the crashed genesis probe, but with Ford, Chevy, or something showing prominently. Suddenly the advertising hurts you. :laugh:
Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.
-The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
by Douglas Adams
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Of course there's a downside to having your company's or organization's logo on a space craft. If it crashes it won't give your company a good image. Imagine something like the pictures of the crashed genesis probe, but with Ford, Chevy, or something showing prominently. Suddenly the advertising hurts you. :laugh:
That reminds me what we use to say about Ford.
FOUND
ON
ROAD
DEAD.
We might have an updated version of what we think of Ford.
FOUND
ON
ROCK
DEAD.
Larry,
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Of course there's a downside to having your company's or organization's logo on a space craft. If it crashes it won't give your company a good image. Imagine something like the pictures of the crashed genesis probe, but with Ford, Chevy, or something showing prominently. Suddenly the advertising hurts you.
Not realy. If a probe fails, thats the fault of the Engineers (or spacehamsters). a company sponsor logo on the side is probably going to point a finger at the incompetence of contractors and underfunding by government. The kids will probably think that the unrelated Sponsor was the hero of the day. Trying to support a space program in the face of endemic corruption and incompetence... You cant get better propaganda.
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