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From [http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=11857]SpaceRef
Man, this *is* too embarrasing for words...
'I don't know the numbers, but here's a graph!'
That he actually had the nerve to say such a thing!
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Sure maybe he should of known the complete cost of the program, but how relevant is that? People add up the complete cost of a program over many years in order to make it sound much more expensive then it really is. The point of the new space initiative is sustainable investment in a forward looking space program. The moon is simply a short term goal to help focus the development of the technology and infrastructure, which with each step will further reduce the cost of future programs, and extend the current reach of mankind. Each step is its own program with its own rewards. The real strength of this program is the rewards are not cumulative, they are exponential. Each future step increases the value of previous rewards.
Dig into the [url=http://child-civilization.blogspot.com/2006/12/political-grab-bag.html]political grab bag[/url] at [url=http://child-civilization.blogspot.com/]Child Civilization[/url]
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That's not my point. When you know you have to testify, you can at least have *some* idea of costs, i really hate people that start waving nice graphs, instead of giving an *answer*
Now they come over like they don't know their case or have something to hide.
Now everybody will remember the '22 billion to go to the moon,'
wich is *wrong* AAARGH!
it is less, and your points are very valid, but they *have* to give hard numbers and *defend* them...
Not going... 'errr... i dunno, but, but, errr...'
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Xhy didn't he say: 'when we're finally on the moon, we will have a *whole infrastructure*, ready to re-use, expand etc... for XX dollars'
THAT would've been an answer. And it would sound like a good deal, to boot.
(man, i' get mad at things like this)
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They REALLY don't want to answer that question! But if you figure an average of half NASA's budget for 16 years--let's set the half at $9 billion--then you're talking about $144 billion.
-- RobS
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The best bits, IMHO:
Gordon: Ok, please, you know please, just, we have a short amount of time. Let me ask you this, if I could ask this. Did the President ever ask you what this was going to cost? Yes or no please.
Marburger: Yes, of course.
Gordon: And what did you tell him?
Marburger: And we showed him this chart, and...
and then this:
Gordon: All right, so when the President asked you what it's going to cost, you didn't tell him, you just gave him this chart?
I can just see that last scenario playing out in the Oval Office.
How about this:
Well. Mr. President, I could tell you or maybe you could just try google!
Maybe: RTFM, Mr. President
And finally, I could tell you, after I do some calculus!
Gordon: So what's it going to cost...so, I didn't see it...so what's the cost by 2020 to go the moon.
Marburger: You'd have to integrate under that curve to find the total cost but the curve goes up on a line that's quite consistent with the FY'04 approved budget profile...
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