Star Trek money

[WPOZZZ]

To boldly go where no man has gone before. Picard (Bezos) and Riker (Branson), maybe Data (Musk), too! Must be nice to go into space without having to qualify as an astronaut.

[Steve Carlton]

I’d rather spend $250K on something else.

[DonDavis]

I agree Steve, but if going on that short trip to space cost 2% of my net worth, I'd be on the next rocket.

[Steve Carlton]

Okay. For $100 I'd go, too.



Kidding

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

Okay. For $100 I'd go, too.



Kidding

LOL

In that case. The scottish in my says fifty bucks - and I want lunch included.

[tabs]

I am going to borrow the money.

[ckissick]

That's a pretty expensive vomit comet.

[sc_rufctr]

I'm just glad there are people willing to take a chance on space.

[varmint]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

I’d rather spend $250K on something else.

I would in a heartbeat.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Data=Musk. LOL.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by tabs

I am going to borrow the money.

How's yer credit .... better than FrEDs I hope ... you gonna pay it back?

250K is chump change for folks making mucho millions each year. Truth Or Consequences .... is gonna become a hit... again.

[Chocaholic]

I don’t get it. A 90 minute plane ride that includes a few minutes of low gravity. That does not make you an astronaut IMHO. I’d rather take my wife out for a nice dinner.

[sc_rufctr]

All true Mike but if you had FU money then why not?

[KNS]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

I don’t get it. A 90 minute plane ride that includes a few minutes of low gravity. That does not make you an astronaut IMHO. I’d rather take my wife out for a nice dinner.

I kind of agree, they're just a paying passenger with no actual function. I'm sure getting astronaut wings will help sell tickets.

It could be argued that Alan Shepard's first flight was similar (a 15 minute "lob" into space). Shepard was a trained test pilot and actually did some maneuvering of his vehicle.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Fify-

Originally Posted by chocaholic

i’d rather take my wife out for 1000 nice dinners.

[GH85Carrera]

The amazing thing, TWO different billionaires built their own way to get to space. Only in America. And the third billionaire has the only system that can orbit and get to the space station.

[RNajarian]

Back in the early 1960s the USAF determined the boundary where space begins is 50 miles from sea level. So by definition, anyone who passes that 50 mile make is an astro (star) naut (sailor).

From Wikipedia. . .

An astronaut (from the Greek "astron" (ἄστρον), meaning "star", and "nautes" (ναύτης), meaning "sailor") is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally reserved for professional space travelers, the terms are sometimes applied to anyone who travels into space, including scientists, politicians, journalists and tourists.

I may be old school but the title Astronaut should be reserved for the professionally trained. Does this mean since Branson and soon Bezos will wear Astronaut wings?

On a side note . . . I disagreed with NASA when they made John Glenn wear a mission specialist wings on his 1998 return to space on the Space Shuttle. He earned Gold Astronaut Pilot wings in 1962 as the first American in orbit, when there was only a 75% chance of success. He should have been allowed to wear both wings. Not uncommon to see two sets of wings on a uniform (though usually Jump and Pilot.)

It seemed disrespectful to make the First American, Second Man in orbit wear Mission specialist (passenger) wings. When Congressmen went to space (a PR stunt, no way they were engaged -or trained- in real science) they were awarded Mission Specialist wings. Ok sorry. . . didn’t mean to hijack.

[flatbutt]

I would if I could especially if I could become a member of the 50 mile high club.

[red-beard]

The third billionaire used a lot of tax payer money to get his systems designed and built.

Branson owns an airline. Take that craft and make it large enough to seat 50 people and extend the fuel supply. You could do sub-orbital shots that go from NY to Sydney in 90-120 minutes. If that plane costs 3 times as much but holds more than 10 times the passengers, that puts the ticket down to about $50K. Now put dozens into service and you might have a service that might cost $10-15K. Some people might pay for that.

Now add in "Boom" supersonic aircraft and we are in an interesting aviation time. NY-Paris in 3 hours at business class prices.

On the orbital flights, for people to go to orbit, there has to be a reason. A zero-g hotel, etc. Of course the biggest issue with space stations are radiation storms and micro-meteors.

We are finally going to space. Something I thought would have been happening over the past 50 years.

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by red-beard

We are finally going to space. Something I thought would have been happening over the past 50 years.

And I STILL don't have my Jetpack.