you may be right.

It looks like the private sector is doing a pretty good job catching up to NASA all by themselves.

May pass them up before too long.

 

[sarcasm]
Oh ok. You're right. I was saying they don't want to look for oil, but you clearly mean oil alternatives... which they will definitely want to look for because that has way more to do with space exploration than looking for oil.
[/sarcasm]

Six of one, half a dozen of the other. I hope you don't think I assumed that you meant for NASA scientists to go put on hardhats and start drilling. When I said looking for oil, my meaning was energy... including oil substitutes. That's my own fault for not being clear in my wording. The point stands though. You can't take a bunch of people who have spent their lives in the pursuit of one thing and just re-focus them on another... best and brightest minds or not.

Maybe when the private sector has regularly scheduled spaceflights to put men and materials on an orbiting space station. Until then I'll have to disagree.

 

Point taken, but.......

Tell them that the future funding for what they have been wanting to do their whole lives depends on this other side project that will have immeasurable benefits for the USA and I think they could get behind it.

Haven't we all had to do some crappy project at work before we got to have the cool/best project or position?

Plus, maybe it would work around the opposite way this time. Instead of finding something useful for normal terrestrial life while searching space, they would fine some useful alternate fuel options for space travel while solving a terrestrial problem.

 

I'll explain this to you the shortest way possible- there is no oil problem, there is no oil shortage, there is no energy shortage. But there is a greed problem. NASA already is using solar energy from space that is available 24/7 and sent back to earth via microwave energy which is converted to electricity. The technology is there, however, you can't have it. There is also the headless engine designed by the scientists at NASA that makes 900HP from a single cylinder engine that burns biodiesel made from garbage. The fuel usage is under full output is about 5 gallons per 8 hours. There is a unit in San Diego making electricity, burning biodiesel from the garbage at the landfill and it uses about 25 gallons on fuel in 24 hours. The technology is there, you can't have it. The Feds have no way to tax you on the fuel you can make at home. Think of the tax dollars that the Feds would not get if this was available to you. No road taxes, no taxes from the oil producers, no state taxes, etc. These headless design engines with after coolers are also zero emissions engines. One making 900HP is about the size of a briefcase and after cooled emits breathable air and water. The trick is in the after cooler for those non-believers. We also sit on the worlds largest known oil reserves. The reserve where the rig blew up last summer ranges from just off our shores to S. America and from Cuba to Mexico. It's larger than the Gulf of Mexico to give you an idea. Add the known reserves in Alaska that remain untouched, the shale deposits in Utah to Wisconsin, we don't NEED any foreign oil for the next 1000 years if there was never another drop made. We're also seeing wells in Texas that were thought to be dry are now producing again. Frankly, we do not understand the genesis of petroleum. It's now thought to be a reaction of the earths core and the nickel that's also found in the earths core. Regardless, there is no energy crunch, just a crunch of your wallet to fund the life styles of the greedy.
Now, don't you feel better knowing all of that.

 

x2

So now how do we get this going?

 

about the oil reserves, I can completely buy that. It's very possible that the US has more oil than what we know what to do with and we are just using up the rest of the world oil first. Smart Play

As for all these wonder engines that supposedly exist? I've seen the youtube clip of the ex NASA scientist that created the headless engine. Two pistons, four crankshafts, one cylinder. First, it's very surprising that this engine came from a NASA scientist, when all he really wants to do is go to space. I can't believe that he devoted his time to trying to build a better engine.

Seriously though, you mean all these new technologies exsist, and NO PRIVATE COMPANY has tried to bring it to market?

Is it that there is no private company that can see the ENORMOUS possibility of profit they could generate?

Has the government or oil companies bought them off? (If so they are very short sighted, any payout would surely be just a fraction of what they could make in sales no matter how big the payoff)

Or do you think it's more sinister and it's a conspiracy? The government snuffs them out if they won't comply, or breaks their legs a few times till they see things their way.

I have a feeling that no matter what the technology is, the government will figure out how to tax it.

 

huh. Look at this mornings headline on MSN.com. Look like the private sector isn't looking so bad after all.

$424 Million, down the drain.

 

Yeah, private enterprise is much better. Three out of six ain't too shabby! I'm all for the private sector doing the space thing, I think it's fantastic. I also think they've benefited from years of NASA research, and still have a LONG way to go to even begin to reach the sorts of accomplishments NASA has made more or less routine. Is NASA perfect? Of course not, but they're a hell of a lot better at it than anyone else.

I know you're kidding, so I'll let the ridiculousness of that slide.