We're trying to adopt a small dog. Our Tibetan Terrier passed away after 18 years and my wife and I have been trying to move on... just haven't found the right rescue doggie. Know of any 6-8 lb. doggies that need a loving home?

What is the ISRO?

They have an amazing history. If you like I could send you a paper I did on their history and current plans. The ISRO was involved in space from the early years of the space age on; they are a major provider of launch services, have sent missions to the Moon and Mars, and are working slowly but surely on a manned space program and a 'space shuttle' type re-usable space craft.

The Chandrayaan mission to the Moon was an important scientific success; they announced the discovery of large lava tubes near the surface that could serve as living space if sealed up and filled with atmosphere.

Amazing success to reach Mars on the first attempt, both the U.S. and USSR needed more than one try to send a successful mission to the red planet.

Your thoughts!! I say Aenar...

Tikki

It would be nice to see a name from one of the other systems of gods and goddesses around the world, like Hina from the Polynesians. Maybe a Norse god? But if we stick with the Roman types, how about Abeona, goddess of outward journeys?

Call it "Land of Arranged Marriages In the 21st Century Even Though We Should Know Better By Now"

Democratic, that is

Is this a good deal?

http://umlr.net/

Is that a Glen Beck advertiser? Or did I see that on Infowars?

Article I says in part: ”Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall be free for exploration and use by all States without discrimination of any kind, on a basis of equality and in accordance with international law, and there shall be free access to all areas of celestial bodies…” Article II then explicitly says, “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.” Article VI stated that:
"State Parties to the Treaty shall bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, whether such activities are carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental entities, and for assuring that national activities are carried out in conformity with the provisions set forth in the present Treaty. 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."

So your giant zeppelin can roam the skies of Jupiter, scooping up helium to mine for H^3 to power the nano factories of Callisto... However you can't claim Jupiter for your own fiefdom. You will have to compete with the other busy scoop zeppelins. You should probably equip your helium zeppelin with big frickin' laser beams to shoot them down!

It's a silly little fantasy I've had, but I'm pretty sure it's just that, a fantasy.

One of the the little known things going on on this planet is that our supply of helium, an important element in many areas of technology, is rapidly being depleted. There was a major discovery, I believe, in Africa, but it just postpones the inevitable.

In the solar system, both Jupiter and Saturn are the largest sources of this gas. Any helium released on Earth boils ultimately off into space because, as the Maxwell-Boltzman distribution predicts, a good fraction of the atoms are exceeding the escape velocity. Not so on Jupiter. Jupiter's escape velocity is much higher, which is problematic for any robotic (or other) craft trying to leave its atmosphere.

I don't know how I feel about space mining, to be honest, but actually I doubt that it's physically feasible.

Thanks again for your answer, and congratulations on your degree.

I Tried to study it in law school, but never had enough time for it.

A question for you--Can Corporations assert property rights on the moon? So If ABC Corp. was able to get to the moon, could they claim, say, all the minerals they can mine or dig up as their own property that they could sell or use in their own benefit?

Neither a nation or a corporation operating under national supervision (Like Shackleton Energy or Lunar Express) can claim title or ownership of the land, but the have the right to operate on the Moon without interference, and own whatever they mine and can do whatever they wish with the materials they accumulate or process.

Shackleton is going forward with plans to 'mine' ice on the Moon and make it available as reaction mass or fuel. They plan to re-fuel satellites so they can maintain station longer. Helium 3 or H^3 could be extracted from the lunar surface and, if fusion power becomes useful, could supply tremendous amounts of electricity. One space shuttle load of H^3 could power the U.S. for months. It is said that the Chinese are very interested in the H^3 supply on the Moon.

I can eat at the restaurant at the end of the Universe?

Given the expanding universe concept, I think your most difficult task would be to catch up with it!

I hear they have great sliders, but always remember, bring a towel!

Everything you observe happened in the past and it all conspired to bring you to this moment.

The last restaurant I visited served Indian food, which seems about right.

Let me link to the paper after it is approved. I hope to write up a short article summing up the main points as well.