No doubt total BS; but wouldn't it be cool if it were true?

[Space Tycoon]

This is an older story, from around New Year's:

Billionaire Professor Devised Private Space Program - Launched himself into space (http://www.rocketry.org/news/newsStory.php?newsID=10)

I would have posted this earlier, but I was... um... you know... :ohwell:






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[Bill_the_Pony]

Well hello there, Sir. :D

Hey....MY apologies for that fracas. I'm not proud of any of it. :(

Just glad to see you back. :)


If we can get this log-in problem fixed. :Angry:

Oh...I have not seen the article yet, but I'm envisioning John Hurt in Zero Gravity from the movie Contact. :cool:

[Space Tycoon]

Not at all, back then I was always spoiling for a fight, and it blew up in my face. 2007 was not a great year for ST.

Glad to be back.

In any event, this is the year of getting all the ducks in a row. Work is very heavy, but good. I got a girl, a new place in Toronto--which is a great city in spite of being run by a bunch of Bolsheviks--and just generally a more focused attitude towards life in general.

It's all good. Can't wait for the election season to get underway for real. Should be one of the most interesting in decades. :popcorn:



Anyway, back to the OP: wouldn't that be just the most incredible thing ever? Some super-rich genius building a mini-space program under everyone's noses.

It's hard to believe, but after all, not impossible. :cool:






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[Space Tycoon]

Oh...I have not seen the article yet, but I'm envisioning John Hurt in Zero Gravity from the movie Contact. :cool:

Definitely one of the inspirations for the Space Tycoon persona.





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[Bill_the_Pony]

As long as they used it for good instead of evil. :eek:


Oh, heck. Let them use it for evil. Nobody would notice. :ohwell:


Hey, I've been in more of a fighting mood lately. :( I may be telling whole segments of the population to ...wait, I think I do already. :headscratch:

Anyways, it's a good year, cuz ST is back! :D

http://a834.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/m_8cf6a9057ae00bc52edaf2cb32668b91.gif Now, McKracken... THERE's someone who's not having a good year.

[sickness]

Well, I'm about as happy as a puppy with two peters! Welcome back, Spacey! Good to see you again!

[Space Tycoon]

Likewise, friend. :)

The database thing is strange... it's like some sort of quest to login every time.

I usually go to the "sign in" section on the home page, seems to get me in every time. Oh, and copy everything before submitting reply. :smirk:

As for McCracken...take two of these (http://swenjohn.com/swenjohncom/playboy/00s/0312_Daisy_and_Sarah_Teles.jpg)and call me in the morning... :cool:





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[Kaeos]

Hey Space! How the heck are ya man! This thread is like....2005 man, Bill, Space, Sickness -freekin cool.


As for the article, I love the ending:

"Dr Abraham leaves a wife and a 29-year old daughter."

translated:

"The dumb shit is probably dead." :lol:

[Bark]

Welcome back! I found a woman too. Not only is she alive, but she consents to be my girlfriend . . . in the romantic sense. :D

[rappites]

So does she have a flat head and no teeth?

[Space Tycoon]

As for the article, I love the ending:

"Dr Abraham leaves a wife and a 29-year old daughter."

translated:

"The dumb shit is probably dead." :lol:

Dead, perhaps... but where?......





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[Space Tycoon]

Welcome back! I found a woman too. Not only is she alive, but she consents to be my girlfriend . . . in the romantic sense. :D

Consent is always good. :)

Then again, there's always GHB, for the socially worthless.





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[Space Tycoon]

That was a joke.

Not a good one, mind you. I'm working on the whole, "sense of humour" thing. Bear with me.






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[Jakester]

I liked it.

[Bark]

That was a joke.

Not a good one, mind you. I'm working on the whole, "sense of humour" thing. Bear with me.






.

You Canadians and your extra "u"s. :lol:

[Jakester]

Colour me wacky, but I thought that was English.

[Nostromo]

Plus we go to the theatre and like to be the centre of attention.

SPACE !!!! Good to see you back. N :)

[Space Tycoon]

Good to see you Nostromo!

I wonder if they'll make a movie about this Dr. Abraham. Maybe it'll be a sequel to The Astronaut Farmer, except everyone won't hate it... :ohwell:





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[Bark]

BTW, I saw the "Astronaut Farmer". It lost me when he reentered. The only way he could reenter that close to his home was if he had stayed in orbit a full day. Due to the Earth's rotation, he would have reentered in the Pacific Ocean, not Texas, after 19 hours or whatever it was.

[mckracken]

never saw it. billy bob rides on me like chalk on a chalkboard (as does costner) and the premise looked stupid from the concept.

[JarrodSarafin]

Man, I really hope this IS true even if my brain says it's probably BS too, Space.

I think everyone already knows my thoughts on the whole space exploration angle.

I understand that safety and regulated space exploration is likely safer but I would actually like private companies to begin a push into the arena even if that means more accidents and less regulations. In my reasoning, it's "Trial by Error" and there will be a lot of errors if private companies enter the mix. Still, it would inject some momentum into the next step of exploration, something which is lacking from the big boys.

The sooner that companies realize the profitability of mining asteroids, the moons, and various planetary satelites from a business standpoint, the more nations will want to jump into the fray.

As with any system, competition for a commodity is what drives humanity. If that competition becomes space exploration, we'll actually start to get somewhere.

Otherwise, it will always be the same one or two regulated big boys who control everything.

I was excited last year when China, Russia and numerous nations announced their plans to make a Moon base in the next decade and call Mars home a decade after that. Namely because every country will want to plant their flag first. Egotism, national pride and competition always a major factor.

But if someone like Branson or the guy mentioned above in Space's link gets things moving even faster, so much the better.

lol Bring on Weyland-Yutani!