Aerospace Entrepreneur/Motelier Robert Bigelow Thinks the Chinese Will Take Over the Moon - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Robert Bigelow is not a small name in the space world. His company Bigelow Aerospace is a pioneer of inflatable spacecraft, and the company has made waves with its plans for an inflatable, orbiting space hotel (not coincidentally, Bigelow's fortunes come from his ownership of the Budget Suites motel chain). So when he says something about the future of space travel, we listen. On the other hand, when [b]he says that China is planning to take over the moon circa 2025[/b], we listen, but with skepticism. At the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight, Bigelow laid out a timeline of a wild-west-style Chinese takeover of the moon, calling China "the new gunslinger in Dodge." Bigelow's timeline notes China's increasing success in space projects, up to and including last month's launch of the Tiangong Space Station module. He further declares that the moon's abundance in helium-3, a possible future fuel, but more importantly that "claiming" the moon would be a major glory moment for China. The timeline suggests that China will complete surveys of the moon, withdraw from the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and formally claim the moon as part of China. [b]Bigelow even suggested diverting 10 percent of the defense budget--some $60 billion--to preventing this moon theft.[/b] So, we are skeptical. For lots of reasons. First, there's no evidence that China has any designs on such a plan, which of course they couldn't execute anytime soon, because their space technology is years, possibly decades, behind Russia's and the European Space Agency's. (Behind us, too, but we've sort of taken ourselves out of that game.) For another thing, there's no guarantee that the moon's raw materials will actually be of any use for energy here on Earth. MSNBC contacted an expert, Dean Cheng of the "conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation," who said anything "inflammatory" like claiming possession of the moon is "not likely." And Bigelow may be a private space agency pioneer and a damn fine budget hotelier, but the guy does not exactly have a background in international relations.[/QUOTE] Source: [url]http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-10/bigelow-aerospace-foundermotelier-robert-bigelow-thinks-chinese-will-take-over-moon[/url]

well the only logical response would be to stockpile weapons [editline]22nd October 2011[/editline] stop the spread of communism!!

A better idea would be to reduce the defense budget regardless of whether or not the possibility of space commies exists.

There's only one thing to do. Space war for control of the moon.

I don't see this as a bad thing whatsoever

[QUOTE=der_crow;32917341]I don't see this as a bad thing whatsoever[/QUOTE] What if China doesn't share?

We were there first you red cock suckers

They can't even muster a UAV drone, let alone space colonization

He's saying this to scare the US into going back into space race mode. Clever.

[QUOTE=OvB;32917411]He's saying this to scare the US into going back into space race mode. Clever.[/QUOTE] For once, I'm all for fear mongering if it means progress to the moon.

I can't help but think this will only end in disaster, as I'm sure that the spaceships will be worse than those of the USSR.

what are they gonna do with the moon, build empty shopping malls on it?

I honestly think private enterprise space exploration will get to the moon before China, and if China does get their first good luck enforcing that.

[QUOTE=thisispain;32917573]what are they gonna do with the moon, build empty shopping malls on it?[/QUOTE] nah, that'd be north korea's space program. Unfortunately they won't include oxygen tanks for the crews because they don't have the funds

[QUOTE=daijitsu;32917603]nah, that'd be north korea's space program. Unfortunately they won't include oxygen tanks for the crews because they don't have the funds[/QUOTE] Nahhh, even better, they'd attempt to build another gigantic concrete hotel. 'Course, it'll take them forty years and they'll be funded by the Egyptians.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;32917347]What if China doesn't share?[/QUOTE] Who cares if China claims the moon. Why do you think the Apollo missions planted an American flag? It is already claimed de facto by the US. Claims don't matter anyhow, look at Antarctica.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJYHIQxF-fc#t=2m18s[/url] Yup. I doubt they could take over the moon. I think I read they were planning on setting foot on it by 2024, I don't see hoe they could 'take it over' in just a year. And plus, everyone knows the moon is American. We got a flag and everything.

Damn commies, flying up to the moon, painting it pink and drawing a Lenin face on it.

Let em, at least someone will be doing it. The US has almost totally given up going beyond LEO for at least another 20 years.

Sombody once bought me a plot of land on the moon from WHSmiths as a gift, I should really check that badboy out china builds on it I sell the land for a cool 20 mil. Or more likely It was a shitty scam gift and I should let that thing rot when I crammed it. I'd quite like somebody to go to the moon anyway, it's not like the USA is using it.

Clearly the obvious answer is to nuke the moon

let china take over the moon and let us take over china on earth then china can stay isolated on the moon like it wants to

Too bad. It's ours bitches! [img]http://www.foxnews.com/images/444962/1_61_apollo_17_flag.jpg[/img]

Humanity should venture out into space as a single entity, as humanity, the national identity being that of a human from earth.

[QUOTE=thisispain;32917573]what are they gonna do with the moon, build empty shopping malls on it?[/QUOTE] Rent it hourly for the Japanese to make even wackier porn. Space/moon bukake. Think about it.

[QUOTE=glitchvid;32920910]Rent it hourly for the Japanese to make even wackier porn. Space/moon bukake. Think about it.[/QUOTE] [IMG]http://nsa07.casimages.com/img/2009/08/06/090806043130467052.gif[/IMG] [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Image macro" - Orkel))[/highlight]

Those moon aliens better not be commies, damnit!

Let's put them all on the moon, and take Mars for ourselves.

Holy fuck the moon belongs to no nationality, I would understand if some different species from outer space would try to settle on the moon and the newspaper decided to write about it but writing about the chineese is just ridiculous

[QUOTE=IQ-Guldfisk;32923512]Holy fuck the moon belongs to no nationality, I would understand if some different species from outer space would try to settle on the moon but the chineese is just ridiculous[/QUOTE] Wait wait wait -comntag os braind damged-