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Re: Space questions...



> From kgstar@most.fw.hac.com Wed Jul 24 17:20:14 1996
> 
> At 7:24 PM 7/23/96, Kevin 'Tex' Houston wrote:
> >Zenon Kulpa wrote:
> >>
> >> > From hous0042@maroon.tc.umn.edu Tue Jul 23 17:16:30 1996
> >> >
> >> > So, the US goes to the moon, mines ore, and charges a fortune for it.
> >> > This pays back the high developement cost, and since there is no
> >> > competiton, they make back the startup cost.  after a few years, some
> >> > smaller country decides they want  a piece of the pie.  So they send
> >> > their own mining contingent to the moon, but find that the US can always
> >> > undercharge for the ore, because the startup cost has been paid back.
> >> > This is what I was talking about.
> >> >
> >> Ahh, but that is true for ANY investment in some new product/technology.
> >> So, should every new investor share his profits with all would-be ones?
> >> This is just pure socialism, if anything...
> >>
> >> -- Zenon
> >
> >No, No you mis-understand me.  I meant to suggest that the smaller
> >countries are
> >using the socialism angle (which they know the US will never accept) to
> >buy time
> >so that they can get their own space program up and running
> >--
> >Kevin "Tex" Houston 	http://umn.edu/~hous0042/index.html
> 
> [...] 
> 
> One other possible factor of course, is the third world is economically
> threatened by space development.  Their economies are based on selling raw
> materials to the developed world.  Space is loaded with ultra high grade
> fuel and ore.  How would the Saudis react if we started a project to
> recover oil from near earth comet cores?  How would others if they heard we
> were going to recover iron, gold, copper, nickel, etc.. fron near earth
> bodies?  We would on the one hand end the possibility of resource shortages
> for human history.  But also destroy the economies of those who profit most
> from selling the limited resorces.
> 
Yes. 
For me it sounds as more convincing reason (plus socialism, of course...).

-- Zenon