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Moon Express Gets FAA Approval For Lunar Mission In 2017 (networkworld.com)
coondoggie quotes a report from Network World: The Federal Aviation Administration this week granted permission to a privately-held space firm to launch a robotic spacecraft to the moon. Moon Express expects to launch its MX-1 spacecraft on a two-week mission to the lunar surface in 2017. The MX-1, which is about as large as a suitcase will include instruments and a camera to explore the moon's surface. Moon Express has a contract with Rocket Lab USA for 3 lunar missions between 2017 and 2020. They are the first private company to receive permission to go to the moon. "Moon Express applauds efforts underway by the U.S. Congress and Executive Branch to establish a permanent regulatory framework to authorize commercial activities beyond Earth orbit," said Moon Express cofounder and CEO Bob Richards. "Our 'Mission Approval' process is an interim arrangement that can be implemented quickly enough for our 2017 launch requirements, allowing us to continue to execute on our business plans under U.S. law while ensuring our activities are consistent with U.S. obligations under the Outer Space Treaty."
Seriously, they had "Planet Express" right there and they went with "Moon Express"?!
My god were you actually drunk when you wrote that.. Or just that stupid? Quite impressive really.
Anyway.. Just dropped by to point out.. Rocket lab USA is actually a New Zealand company using a launch system developed in New Zealand.
It's not just hobbits down there..
Finally the plan in the old belgian comic (Z Comme Zorglub) becomes reality . The villain paints the moon into a giant billboard for Coca Cola ( http://www.spirouworld.com/zor... )
The Outer Space Treaty states that outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means. The Treaty establishes the exploration and use of outer space as the "province of all mankind."
However, unlike the rockets in most parts of the world, their rockets are flightless, and the engines are vestigial.
Fox: "I think we should call it... your grave!" Cast: "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!"
Which makes it bizarre, without that context, that the article is talking about them going through a long approval process with the FAA and white house. Presumably if I launch a rocket from an ocean, I don't need anybody's permission? Seeing as it's the moon.
I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
According to their site they are a US company with a NZ subsidiary.
https://rocketlabusa.com/about...
So would likely need US approval.. just sayin..
It's not permission to land on the moon it's permission to launch from the US
Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.
Doing things for the ultimate purpose of improving man's knowledge or skills or whatever brings to me a sense of delight, but doing something with the ultimate purpose of increasing someone's bank account seems so primitive that I just don't give a fuck.
So, you live off the land, have no job, and pedal a bicycle around for transportation?
Damn near everything we do or engage in ends up "increasing someone's bank account". Working, buying food, gas...hell, even the very medium we are communicating on right now is lining some ISPs pockets, along with the manufacturer of your computer, wireless router, cable modem, A/C unit, drywall maker, clothing, furniture...
Oh no, (M)oon (X)press, not to be confused with (Minuteman) (X)perimental which are ICBM's.
No, he's probably just predicting that Rocket Lab will fail and Moon Express won't have any other option than hitching a ride on a Falcon. Which is actually pretty plausible, unless Rocket Lab demonstrates actual technical capability, and would be even cheaper.
Ezekiel 23:20
Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty deals with international responsibility, stating that "the activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty" and that States Parties shall bear international responsibility for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities.
? (As per Wikipedia...)
Ezekiel 23:20
You can't launch something like this without somebody noticing so by getting approval that should, in theory, mean that nobody panics that some bad guy is trying to launch a primitive ICBM towards who knows what and thus the rocket isn't shot down.
Sounds like it's exactly because of that. Thanks.
I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
Saying he isn't inspired by something is not the same as saying he refuses to participate. It's just the difference between participating out of need and participating out of joy.
He has a point as well - imagine if big pharma today was mostly run by CEO's with the same attitudes as Jonas Salk: "screw patents, screw profits, I make a nice middle class salary as a professor - I'll just give my vaccine away so I can save more lives sooner". Imagine if anti-retrovirals were never patented, always sold at cost - how many millions of lives could we save ?
Unicode killed the ASCII-art *
Saying he isn't inspired by something is not the same as saying he refuses to participate. It's just the difference between participating out of need and participating out of joy.
He has a point as well - imagine if big pharma today was mostly run by CEO's with the same attitudes as Jonas Salk: "screw patents, screw profits, I make a nice middle class salary as a professor - I'll just give my vaccine away so I can save more lives sooner". Imagine if anti-retrovirals were never patented, always sold at cost - how many millions of lives could we save ?
If Big Pharma chose to sell damn near everything at cost or give it away, ever wonder how many millions of lives would be affected by a lack of employment, along with an economy not being fueled by that spending?
Funny thing about profits...tends to create jobs, bankroll paychecks, and feed the economy.
And in order for your world to exist, Big Pharma would have to obtain damn near ALL R&D funding from the government, because they would be turning NO profits of their own. Would our country be doing better with a few hundred trillion in the debt bucket, all while supporting millions on welfare due to a massive decrease in employment opportunities? I think not.
Yes, Big Pharma is greedy as all hell, and could use some reform to help the masses as you've pointed out. But this sure as hell isn't the answer.
I wasn't saying that WAS the answer - I was just pointing out that the current system HAS killed millions of people needlessly, not speculatively as your numbers - actual corpses.
Oh -and there is absolutely ZERO reason why such a scheme would lead to job-losses, since cost includes wages, nobody said they should sell it at a loss.
I wasn't arguing what the best type of reform would be - just contrasting the success of the non-profit motive drug with the very profit motive drug in terms of lives saved.
Unicode killed the ASCII-art *
I guess I'm just not grasping the commercial advantage of sending a roomba to the moon and leaving it there.
I'm presuming this is only necessary because they intend to launch from the US? I mean its not like the US have declared they control the moon or something right?
Bring me back a Big Mac
Have you fscked your local propeller head today?
Huh?
Did I miss some major news bulletin or something? When did our moon escape the Earth's orbit?
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'