buying pieces of land on the Moon

[MHS]

As usual I was reading a few of the articles on one of the most reliable Dutch newssites (Nu.nl) when I found out that one of the main articles was about the company 'Lunar Embassy' that opened a new 'shop' in Holland where they're going to sell pieces of the Moon. The article was absolutely serious about it and mentioned that the company has all the rights to do what they're doing. Ofcourse I sent them an e-mail right away telling them that it's all crap and that the rights are truly for 80% made up. I've also sent them a link to a CNN article that's far more skeptical about it and explains perfectly what the rights of this company are.

Funny thing: the CNN article mentions a co-director from Leiden University. Check where I come from!

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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: MHS on 2002-04-17 16:56 ]</font>

[GrapesOfWrath]

He sold 300,000 plots, 18,000 acres each, for 27 US dollars apiece. And that guy in Germany whose family was bequeathed the moon in the nineteenth century wants all the money he has made.

Incredible.

I gotta go take my pet rock for a walk.

[MHS]

They listen to us! Well, they didn't change the article, but they did place a link to the CNN article I recommended. In the e-mail sent to me by Nu.nl they agreed with me that the CNN article is pretty good :>

[Firefox]

Does anyone remember the two Arab brothers who filed suit against NASA for landing the Mars Pathfinder on what they claimed to be their planet?


-Adam

[Wiley]

They can have the Moon and they can have Mars, but they better stay off of Venus. She's mine, all mine. Keep your clam shell shuckin' hands off!

[Martian Jim]

On 2002-04-18 12:18, Firefox wrote:
Does anyone remember the two Arab brothers who filed suit against NASA for landing the Mars Pathfinder on what they claimed to be their planet?


-Adam

HEY! THATS MY HOME PLANNET! I SHOULD BE THE ONE FILING LAW SUITS AGAINST NASA!

[Chuck]

I want the plot of land under the lunar rover so I can charge NASA for parking there.

[MHS]

That reminds me: would an 'earth-pen' work on the moon? Or is there not enough gravity?

A pen is kinda necessary for writing the ticket [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: MHS on 2002-04-20 14:42 ]</font>

[Firefox]

I don't think Chuck has to worry about that. NASA developed pens that work in microgravity. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]


-Adam

[Martian Jim]

On 2002-04-20 14:44, Firefox wrote:
I don't think Chuck has to worry about that. NASA developed pens that work in microgravity. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]


-Adam

why did nasa spend alot of money researching that when they could use a PENCIL?

[Donnie B.]

Pencils wear down and require sharpening. Sharpening a pencil creates tiny bits of wood and graphite, which can float around, get inhaled, clog air filters, and generally be a pain. The graphite is conductive and could get into electrical equipment, causing shorts. A mechanical pencil would reduce, but not eliminate, the problem of graphite particles; and it would be impossible to operate one in an EVA suit.

Sometimes there really are good reasons for spending a little extra money.

[David Hall]

I remember hearing that the Russians used pencils on their flights. I wonder how they coped (cope?) with the problems.

[Donnie B.]

Maybe they didn't write much. Or, maybe they spent a couple million developing a combo vacuum cleaner and sharpener!

Anybody know whether a fountain pen will write "upward"? They're fed by capillary action, so maybe they'd still work in zero-g... as long as you could keep the nib wet.

[SeanF]

On 2002-04-23 19:43, Donnie B. wrote:
Maybe they didn't write much. Or, maybe they spent a couple million developing a combo vacuum cleaner and sharpener!

Hey, I've got a combo vacuum cleaner and beard trimmer that I use to trim my beard without having little tiny hair clippings all over the bathroom! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

(It's definitely an improvement over a regular trimmer, but it still drops enough clippings that I don't think I'd use it in zero-g around sensitive electronics . . . )

[Jim_McBrearty]

Well, they can claim to own the moon all they want, but once I'm up there with an M-16, they can't do anything.

Will an M-16 work in space? I think the powder contains all the oxygen, and that the mercury cap thing would still spark. Combine that with the Moon's gravity (or lack of it) and you hace a lethal weapon. Keep off estate Agents?

P.S. Can I buy Uranus? <har har har> (Is it officially pronunce "Your-Anus" or "U-Ran-Nos"?)

[Kaptain K]

Will an M-16 work in space?

Yup! Just fine. Although, aiming might be a little difficult in a space suit.

P.S. Can I buy Uranus? (Is it officially pronunce "Your-Anus" or "U-Ran-Nos"?)

Actually it is closer to urine-us [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Donnie B.]

On 2002-05-05 15:20, Jim_McBrearty wrote:
Will an M-16 work in space?

I wonder... would the ammunition hold together in a vacuum? The bullet is just friction-fit into the cartridge casing, I believe; the internal pressure might pop them apart if that fit isn't tight enough.

[Kaptain K]

I wonder... would the ammunition hold together in a vacuum? The bullet is just friction-fit into the cartridge casing, I believe; the internal pressure might pop them apart if that fit isn't tight enough.

The M-16 uses the 5.56mm NATO ammunition (.223 caliber). Assuming 1 atm of internal pressure (~15 lb/in^2); the pressure on the base of the bullet would be .223^2 x 15 x 16 = ~12oz. I think the friction fit would be tight enough to resist that.

[Martian Jim]

i heard that if you fired a powerful gun on the moon, it would travel all the way around the moon. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

The reason for this is because there virtually no air resistance. so if you fire your m16 and stand their for a long time it would hit you in the back of the head.

when they went to the moon they should of tried this.

[ToSeek]

On 2002-05-07 04:06, Martian Jim wrote:
i heard that if you fired a powerful gun on the moon, it would travel all the way around the moon. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

I believe it's mathematically possible, but in practice odds are good that there's something your height in the orbital path before it gets to you.

Reminds me a bit of the (mostly joking) concerns about the 51,000-foot mountain on the backside of the Moon when the lunar module was in a 50,000-foot orbit.

[Kaptain K]

...if you fire your m16 and stand their for a long time it would hit you in the back of the head.

The orbital velocity of the Moon is ~5500fps.
The muzzle velocity of an M 16 is ~3100fps. The maximum MV of a high power rifle (i.e. 22-250, 220 Swift, 30-06-223 sabot, etc) is a little over 4000fps. So, no you could not shoot yourself in the head. A tank or howitzer could probably come close.

_________________
When all is said and done - sit down and shut up!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Kaptain K on 2002-05-07 15:35 ]</font>